Greek Love
by Duel Otaku
Summary: Nico is at camp for the first time as the Son of Hades. Will Camp live up to Percy's stories? Of course! But not in the way Nico though. Nico is in for one hell of a roller-coaster love life. MxM, language. Nico x Connor and others!
1. Day 1, how bad can it be?

Hello . This is my first venture into Percy Jackson Fanon... I've read the first seriesand am working my way through the Heroes of Olympus. I suddenly had the urge to write some Percy Jackson fan fic... so I did. Story is told from Nico's perspective, will be Nico x people... So I hope you like, yes Nico is a snarky little guy haha.  
>Usual disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson or characters etc etc etc.<br>Story contains: Language that may offend, scenes of a mild sexual nature, tension, angst and MxM relationships.

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><p><strong><em>Proemium:<em>**

With Kronos' failed takeover of the Olympus, Percy Jackson and the other half-bloods were given their reprieve; no longer would they be pursued by thousands of monsters wanting them dead, now it was just back to the usual hundreds or so. The war had taken its toll on the camp; scars in the woods still healing from Krono's invasion through the Labyrinth, many cabins were still finding their hearts after many councillors died in the war, though new half-bloods arrived each day. Percy Jackson was just thankful for one thing, Camp Half was still open for business, and for the first time Nico di Angelo would be attending as a claimed demigod, the son of Hades. And so our story begins...

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><p><strong>~Chapter 1~<strong>  
><em>"Day 1, how bad can it be?" <em>

Water pounded against the walls of the Camp Half Blood van, _'oh Christ this is cliché..._' I sighed to myself as the van hits a pot hole in the road, gods was Argus aiming for every single one? With that many eyes you'd think he'd see them coming. Percy said its 'tradition' for new campers to come in the van... Hmph, i thought it was tradition for new campers to come running through the border with a satyr and trailing 10 or so mythical beasts hell bent on using halfblood's bones as toothpicks to clean last year's Halfblood out of their teeth, that's how Percy got there, Annabeth, Thalia and Luke, even I got there the first time. I don't see why I couldn't just shadow travel through the boarder, or get a lift with Mrs. Blofis. But no, since my only real friend at camp says this is how it is done, that is what I did. The bus turned down the driveway to the camp gates. "_Well this is it, no turning back now... Happy thoughts Nico, happy thoughts!" _

One of the camps senior councillors was riding upfront with Argus, Connor Stoll the relatively saner and more trust worthy of Hermes' twin sons Travis and Connor. Notice my choice in wording _'relatively saner and trust worthy_' one should not think for too long, in fact for any amount of time that Connor is sane or trustworthy, his brother and him are the dictionary example of Kleptomaniac. Though I should be grateful, I could have been stuck with one of the more dead beat councillors. The van braked hard as we reach the base of Half Blood Hill.

"All right Girls and Boys" Connor stood and turned around resting his hands on the front two seats' head rests. "Welcome to Half Blood Hill, if you'll just grab your things and come with me, we'll head off up the hill to meet Chiron" Connor quickly left the bus leaving us to follow suit. Argus as usual said nothing as campers filed past him, he didn't even flinch when a girl gave a shrill shriek as she noticed just how many eyes he had all over his body. "_Well, she's definitely an Aphrodite girl_." I internally sighed and rolled my eyes.

We all stumbled over halfblood hill towards Thalia's pine. A few of the new campers stop and looked back at the magical boundaries, some were probably wondering if they were doing the right thing, some were obviously just dumb founded at the rain instantly fading as it hits the barrier, looks like Aphrodite was busy in the late 90s. I re-adjusted my black leather duffle bag and kept walking, I cursed under my breath at my choice in clothing, a pair of black dress pants and a black business shirt the sleeves rolled back, need to a make a good impression, sadly my good impression is hot as hell... Literally! As usual kids were giving me a wide birth, probably cause I looked like death warmed up, not my fault though I tell you, its genetics, or, lack thereof? Either way I had shadow travelled to the pickup point for the van so I felt like crap and was still waiting for the BK i ate to give me my strength. "_I'll just raid some of Percy's candy when I get to camp_" I thought.

The scream girl screamed again as our resident dragon twitched in its sleep, I laughed to myself, and at her. I guess I'm not the nicest person around, but oh well, my father is the lord of the dead so cut me a break.

In no time we were over the pine hill and walking down the hill towards the gathering point for new campers. I scanned my eyes around looking for Percy, Annabeth, anyone I know. As we walked, I overheard that Aphrodite girl asking what happened to the rain in a sugar-coated voice, serious she makes me want to be sick…

"Okay guys and gals come in close." Connor waved his hands beckoning us all forward. There were loud, not so subtle whispers as the noise of hooves clacking became louder.

"Welcome to Camp Half Blood" Chiron announced. "I am Chiron, I am Camp Half Blood's Activities director" there was an awkward silence and some of the girls pointed and whispered about Chiron's rear end... Idiots..."Now if you don't mind, could you form a single file line and walk into the circle one at a time to be claimed" explained Chiron.

"Claimed?" the scream girl asked.

"You will be divided up into cabins depending on your godly parent" explained Chiron with great patience.

"Oh cool, just like in Harry Potter!" I heard someone whisper. There were more whispers as we slowly, and I do mean slowly, started to form up that line he talked about though none of us approached that circle. Thanks to Percy's 1 wish from the gods, every child had to be claimed by their godparent. There was a very very awkward silence as no one wanted to walk in.

"Ugh" I sighed and dropped my duffle bag, and approached the circle.

"Nico?" Chiron threw up a confused eyebrow look. I kept walking and enter the circle. The claiming circle is a ring of pentalic marble key stones, each stone portraying a different gods face. The gods faces are inlaid with Celestial bronze, more for effect I think, though my father's is made of Stygian Iron, a metal so dark it makes your scariest nightmares seem cute. As I enter Chiron told me there was no need, they already knew who my divine father. Well someone had to show them how it's done. I stood myself in the dead centre haha get it? Well as I stood there, a celestial bronze ring began to spin round, on the extremity of the circle is an arrow head. The arrow head stops solidly my father's face, the inlaid iron glows dark and a black skull appears above my head. There were whispers of shock and awe, I could hear kids mentioning my father, some of the more ignorant ones even throw out the D word.

Devil.

Jeez what were you thinking? Ugh.

"I present to you Nico di Angelo, son of Hades." Chiron raised up his staff. "Who'll be next," scream girl walked into the ring as I picked up my duffle bag, _"Oh she wants to be a trend setter NOW?"_ I thought. To my shock and awe I turned around and look as her paren't symbol glows above her head, a small owl appears... _"You're pulling my leg... Athena! Ok Nico, pick your chin up, everyone can see you... Better."_

"Jennifer Smarts, daughter of Athena." well looks like I need classes in being judgemental.

We were divided into our cabins and councillors came to collect their new charges, Clarisse picked up the one new Ares camper, Connor Stoll took away the 3 new Apollo cabin boys and Annabeth collected the 2 new Athena kids. As she left Annabeth gave me a little wave. _'Nawh she still cares.'_ Once all the councillors had taken their charges, it left me all alone, heh nothing unusual there. Chiron trotted over to me leaning on his staff.

"Thank you Nico." Chiron bowed a bit.

I tell him "Its ok Chiron, someone had to take the horse by the reigns" well that was insensitive. To my surprise he let out a bellowing laugh and points yonder.

"Your father summoned up your cabin a few days ago. It's over there" the old centaur pointed out past Ares, Apollo and Hephaestus cabins to a cabin made of black basalt blocks. "It looks like an inviting place I suppose." I quickly headed over and push open the front door. "Aaah home sweet home," I threw my duffle bag on the floor as I walked in and scuffed off my shoes to get ready to settle in, stopping to bow to the small statue of my father by the doorway. I can tell you now there isn't a lot of room in those footlocker chests, it's a miracle all my stuff fitted, and Alecto even packed lightly for me. Once i finished setting my armor up on its stand I took a quick tally of my cabin; armor on stand check. Footlocker check. Signed copy of Dante's Inferno check, see being the son of the underworld's king has its benefits. Toilet check, random guy sleeping in one of the dorm beds check... '_Wait what?'_

"Oi,"

*grumble* _"oh I see"_ I sighed in my head.

"Percy wake up" I sighed, throwing a pen from my pocket at him. As usual it bounced straight off his head and he grumbly woke up.

"Oh hey, you're here" He woke up, stumbled out of my bed and stood next to me. "Wow you've grown." Percy put his hand on my head to try and gauge how much taller I'd gotten.

"I age differently down there than I do up here remember?" Percy could be such a lunk head sometimes.

"Oh yeah," Percy lowered his hand almost 6inchs, almost placing it on my shoulder. "You were this tall last time I saw you." he prophetically announced.

"Actually Percy I was this tall" I raised his hand just about an inch.

"Can't be, you were a head shorter than me."

"You grew too seaweed brain." that raises the point, is Percy's brain actually made up of seaweed? I wonder sometimes.

"Oh by the way, Chiron gave me your schedule." Percy fished around in his pocket and handed me a semi crumpled piece of parchment paper. _'Somehow I get the feeling it wasn't so scrunched when Chiron gave it to you Percy...'_ That aside, it looks like even the brave centaur that was trainer for many Heroes still gets the heeby geebies around the prince of ghosts.

"Whaat?" I looked up at Percy in shock when I read that I'M taking a sword skills class, not attending one but teaching one. _'Oh gods, I just love being the centre of attention.'_ I thought to myself, my thoughts dripping in Sarcasm.

"Yeah he thought you'd be good at it since you were key in holding Manhattan from Kronos." Percy explained, very diplomatically, I was more sure it's just a party favour to Hades, not looking like the gods are reneging on their acceptance of him... Bureaucrats. I gave some twitchy reply as Percy headed for my door. "Oh by the way, I'm meeting Annabeth in a bit. Wanna tag along?"

I thought for a second _'Will I be the awkward third wheel?'_ "Sure" I replied

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><p>Later that day:<p>

Not having many friends at Camp I tagged along with Percy and Annabeth. We chose to hang out down on the fringes of the forest, where the woods join the strawberry fields. Annabeth let out a contented sigh lying flat on the ground absorbing the runs rays. I retreated into the shadows edge still sitting close to the rest, but in the cool darkness, wearing all black in the sunlight can get a bit intense. "So Nico what've you been up to over the year?" Annabeth was the first to try and strike up our first conversation.

"It's been pretty uneventful, helping Father sort the souls that died in the war mostly" I shrugged, Annabeth recoiled a little at the mention of the war. "What about you?" I fumbled out a continuation to the topic, whilst playing with some leaves on the ground.

"We all went to my family's lake house." Percy took over the conversation with a stutter grace. "We had to force Annabeth out of her drawing room on Olympus after she'd been there all week" he chuckled.

'_Nice Percy, ya drag Annabeth out of Olympus probably kicking, screaming and clinging to some parchment, but ya couldn't even Iris Message to ask if I wanted to come along... Nice._' "That must have been fun", I began to play with some more leaves, kind of like how I used to play with Mythomagic.

"We were going to ask if you wanted to join, but the cabin was pretty full." Percy apologised whole heartedly. Percy is the type of guy who wears his heart on his sleeve, and he may as well carry a neon sign behind him with his current mood on it, because he is as easy to read as a kid's book. I cast my gaze over to the canoe lake to see some of the first year campers trying to stand on their canoes for training.

"Hey Percy" I turned to Poseidon's favourite son with a wicked smile on my face. That's right, the Son of Hades had a devilish plan.

"Hmm?" Percy looked back at me after he finished a quick conversation with Annabeth. It only took me to nod in the general direction of the canoe lake for Percy to get my devilish plan. Its times like these I really realize our fathers are related.

Sadly Annabeth isn't that smart in this area "What is it Nico?" she asked.

"I just um think that the canoe challenge is well... A bit easy" I smirked.

Percy gave a full hearted chuckle "I agree." extending his arm, Percy waved some Spirit Fingers that caused the lake to ripple, knocking a few Ares Campers in for a well over due bath.

Percy and I busted out into full on chuckles, but it was all cut short... "Perseus" we both looked over to Annabeth, crossed arms and tapping her finger on her arm. Annabeth looked like a mother who just found her sons putting their cat in the washing machine. With her glare Percy stopped his little water show, the waves in the canoe lake suddenly stopped and all returns to normal. _Man Annabeth can be such a kill joy_. Luckily for us she upped and left not long after, something about organising an architecture lecture, leaving Percy and I alone.

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><p>We soon found ourselves walking along the beach, Percy walking bare foot with his flip flops in his right hand and his left running through his hair. '<em>Wow Percy really is becoming a young man, he has a slight darkening around his jaw line, PROBABLY will start getting facial hair in a year or two.' <em>I thought to myself as we walked along.

"Tis a bit hot" I sighed in the beading sun.

"Nico, you're in all black and army boots. No wonder you're hot" Percy laughed. Percy gave me one of those _'You're killing the mood' _looks, so I really had no choice. We stopped on a rock while I took off the big clunky army boots I was wearing, rolled up my jeans to my knees and stuffed the socks in the boots.

"Better?" I asked sarcastically.

"Perfect" he smiled.

"Helloooo lover boys!" an Apollo camper raced past us laughing as he ran away from an enraged daughter of Aphrodite. He was running like a bat out of hell, which made him kick sand up in our faces.

"Ugh" sufficed to say, neither Percy nor I were very pleased with him

"Watch this" Percy smirked as he raised his free hand. With a swish of two fingers, a small torrent of salt water squirted out from the sea and into the poor boys eyes, sending him to the ground.

"Sweet vengeance" I chuckled as his pursuer reached him and proceeded to shower him with kisses, must have been some stupid dare. Turning back to face Percy it was obvious his attention was elsewhere. His gaze fixed on the water. "Percy?"

"Sorry, just a lot of annoying fish." he sighed like it was a common occurrence around water.

"Oh to live a day in the life of the fish whisperer." I let out a chuckle and started walking on. Without warning I felt a salty wet thing in my ear causing my heart to skip a beat.

"Here," alright, Percy had dipped his finger in the sea and stuck it in my ear, yummy. The thing that scared me the most was the voices, about 20 murmuring about stupid things, boat noise, rubbish, demigods falling into the lake, a new monster Chiron put in the lake... When Percy withdrew his finger it all stopped.

'_That must have looked pretty retarded…_" I thought about how stupid it must have looked, with Percy having his finger in my ear and all. "What was that?" I asked, wiping excess water from my ear.

"I can share bits of my power, I guessed since people touching me won't get wet, might extend to fish whispering."

"And the salt water acts as a conductor for the power?" I asked with a bit of annoyance in my voice.

"No that was for dramatic effect." he chuckled with all that boyish charm of his. I cleaned the last of the salt water out of my ears and set off for my cabin.

"Hey, Percy. I have some things to do, I'll catch ya later ok?" it was the dictionary definition of rhetorical questions as I was off.

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><p>I got back to my cabin and flicked on the lights, I sighed and threw off my jacket, having it sag around the coat hanger. When I closed the large door quickly, that's when I noticed something was up. The clunk of the door was followed soon after by a yell "Oh crap!" I heard coming from my room, directly to my left. I made my hands into claws and slowly raised them up, fingers pointing up to the roof, as I did the shadows of the window frames raised up like prison bars, the only thing I had learned to do with Umbrakinesis . I placed my left hand on the back of my right, covering my skull ring, as I pulled my hands apart, my black sword Soul Reaper formed in my right hand. I slowly charged into my room, sword raised and pointing forward. I dropped my sword when I got a good look in the room.<p>

"Connor!" Soul Reaper hit the floor and instead of bouncing, just dissolved into black smoke.

"Nico!" what I saw would have shocked everyone, a shirtless Connor Stoll struggling to button his jeans back up while Will Solace cowered under my blankets.

"By the gods, what are you two doing!" I asked, my face redder than Clarisse's battle banner.

"I-um-we-um... Can explain!" Connor stammered. I noticed a pair of... Undergarments on my floor, and looked over to the cowering Will Solace.

"Oh gods" I moaned, running my hands down my face. "Just, get dressed" I sighed as I left my room, still rubbing my face in shock. "Oh Tyche, why me?" I looked up and begged the goddess of fortune for an answer, getting none as usual.

Moments later Connor and Will Solace came out of my bed room blushing ear to ear and fully dressed _'thank the gods!'_ With a few quick apologies they were out of my door. Well my first real day at Camp was turning out to be… interesting… I wonder if Will Solace's boxer shorts would make it on this year's bead…?

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><p>Well I hoped ya all enjoyed that! I've been writing it slowly on the bus and at work on my phone (comprised of MANY many little note files) haha.<br>Hope you'll all review it (Hopefully positively!) And I should have chapter 2 up quick smart!  
>Well thanks!<p> 


	2. Oh Damn

Thanks to everyone who reviewed Chapter 1! This is a re-upload of Chapter 2 as I somehow managed to wipe it off the site...

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><p><strong>~Chapter 2~<br>**_"...Oh damn"_

Needless to say I did not sleep in my own bed that night. I took one of the couches my father placed in my room. My cabin was different from the others, it had just one bed for its 1 occupant, me. It would be 13 years at least before any more children of Hades came about. Like many campers I awoke to the sound of the conch being blown out across the camp. The camp was still pretty quiet when I got dressed in my black jeans and black shirt that read 'Oh go tell the Athenians!' in ancient Greek, a birthday present from my father. My father thought I needed more cloths to 'fit in', don't imagine for a second he crafted it himself, he sent Charon to get it. Now believe what you have been told about my father but he is the most fair of the Gods, some say he's evil for abducting Persephone but he did it for love, isn't that the best reason to abduct someone...not that there ever is… just forget it ok? I walked out into the courtyard between cabins to see the sons and daughters of Apollo walking around bright and early, something that comes with being the child of the Sun God.

"Good morning" Chris Rodriguez nodded at me as he walked past on his way to the shower, clad only in his pyjama pants and his towel.

"Oh um good morning?" I blushed, down side to being born and raised in the 40's, you tend to be more...conservative.

Chris patted me on the shoulder, bringing me out of my daze "Aren't you gonna hit the showers?" he asked.

"I ah had one last night" I stuttered a reply, _'Wow he has good musculature'_ I thought to myself. Chris' shoulder length silky black hair seemed to slide off his toned shoulders in the morning sun.

"Right, well I'll catch you later I suppose." Chris smiled and turned to leave, but stopped a second or two after "Oh by the way, Chiron said something about an academic program this year, know anything about it?"

"Not really." I shook my head.

"I just assumed since you were a head councillor you would, oh well, we'll find out soon enough I suppose." with that he was off, chasing one of the nerdy Athena Cabin boys with his towel ready to flick him.

"I'm a head councillor?" I asked to no one in particular, and got no reply as I was now alone in the middle of the Cabin courtyards. I rolled my eyes and set off to the dining pavilion. Compulsive eating had become one of my vices recently. While waiting for the Camp Halfblood Bus, I'd managed to pawn off one or two of the gold objects I took from the Underworld for modern cash and managed to totally ravage some Cheese Burgers.

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><p>The Dinning pavilion was pretty empty when I walked in, a few of the Athena campers were lining up for breakfast.<p>

"Morning" Annabeth smiled as she walked up to me, carrying two trays of food.

"Oh hi Annabeth" I smiled at Athena "Percy's?" I ask, nodding toward the second tray.

"Yeah, Chiron's slack with the setting arrangements since Camp hasn't officially started again." she explained, "The Gods are fine with it too, as long as Camp isn't in full swing. I suppose it's because we saved Olympus and have earned our break." Annabeth continued to explain... As usual.

"I see" I nodded.

"Do you want to join us?" she asked politely.

"Sure," I replied with trepidation.

"Great," she handed me Percy's tray. "Here ya go."

"Isn't this Percy's?"

"It might be cold by the time he gets here. Early mornings and Percy don't go together you see." Now I should explain, Annabeth and I aren't really FRIEND friends, there is a bit of tension between us for some reason, dunno why, but we still try for Percy's sake.

We had only just started eating when Percy came in to the dinning pavilion, denim shorts and orange Camp Halfblood shirt, his own personal uniform really. Not that I can judge, the word pastel and I don't go together, at all, ever.

"Hey guys" Percy sat down and looked around for his tray. After a few moments he noticed it was in my possession. "Oh…"

"Early bird get the worn seaweed brain" smiled Annabeth cutely.

"Oh well" he sighed, not to annoyed, but I'd say he was 'mildly vexed'. He returned after fetching his tray of food. We all had the muesli and berry yoghurt, probably the only thing they had for breakfast today.

"I guess Demeter is really pushing this cereal thing." Percy picked up his spoon and started eating.

"As the goddess of the harvest and grains, the crops that we get cereal from are easy for her to produce. It helps to make the camp self-sufficient." explained Annabeth, explaining like usual. Percy and I continued munching, not knowing exactly to say back. I really missed this, hanging out not needing to have a big in depth conversations, especially because I couldn't get what I saw last night out of my head.

"Hey ya'll" Connor Stoll strode into the dinning pavilion from the entrance against my back; the look on his face when he saw me was priceless and I do mean priceless.

"Hey Connor" Annabeth smiled,

"Long time no see buddy" Percy stood up and high-fived Conner.

"Yeah, long-time" I smirked devilishly, putting emphasis on long. Take from that what you will.

"Oh um hey Nico," Connor blushed and began rubbing his head. "Chiron told me to tell you about the schedule meeting today at 12." As Connor finished Percy and Annabeth stood up and said they'd be there before leaving to put their plates away.

"So um, Nico," Connor sat down opposite me, blushing.

"Yes?" I asked.

"A-about yesterday..."

"Hmm?" I knew what Connor wanted 'Oh don't worry about it' or 'Everyone gets caught once'

"You're not um." more blushing.

"Gonna tell anyone?" I asked.

"Yeah, it's um, not what ya think" he stammered.

"hmm?" I inquired.

"We're, not-"

"Gay?" I asked, cutting to the chase like my stygian Iron Sword slicing through Telekehenes.

"Not together. Of course we're gay" Connor retorted.

"Oh, then your slutty secret is safe with me" I stood up as I noticed Annabeth and Percy coming back. "Anyway Connor, thanks for clearing that up" I laughed, picked up my tray and walked to the sink leaving Connor feeling rather embarrassed. As Bianca always used to say, it's the little things in life.

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><p>After I had sent my dad an Iris message (which was kind of awkward), I went to the big house for the academic meeting. Lined up around one of the tables were Clarisse, Annabeth, Percy, Will Solace, Travis and Connor (the latter of whom still blushed when I walked in) Miranda Gardiner, Pollux, Jake Mason and the councillors of the minor gods.<p>

"Now that we're all here-" Chiron was interrupted by the Big House door being swung open.

"Excuse me, aren't you forgetting someone?" jaws dropped and noses sniffed as the smell of freshly ground java filled the room. Well Clovis' jaw didn't drop, though he did fall flat faced on the table due to him dozing off again, weird kid...

"Ah Ms. Dare" Chiron smiled and invited her in, her blood red suitcase came with her. Rachel quickly exchanged the usual greetings and sat down on one of the stools with the rest of us. *Ahem* Chiron cleared his throat. "Now with the previous prophecy out of the way, we can turn our thoughts back away from pure combat. This year, along with our arts and crafts activity, we will also be holding more academic classes, such as history, art and philosophy." Chiron explained. This was met with stalwart nods from Annabeth and I, whilst it was met with sighs from almost everyone else. It was soon decided that both Annabeth and I would be holding these classes with Clarisse and Will Solace taking over half our sword training. Wise girl and I were handed reams of paper with all the information we'd need, Annabeth knowing 50%+ already.

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><p>The next morning I awoke to the first day of full-fledged camp. There was a group breakfast, orientations for the last few campers to arrive, a speech by Chiron, and the most adorable speech from Percy. Poseidon's son stammered and blushed his way through the speech, probably wishing he was fighting all the Titans single handedly in just his boxers instead of talking to a group of about 100 kids. We broke for activities, today was my day to teach, Annabeth and I alternated. First off sword skills with first years.<p>

I walked into the duelling arena in full black armour, Soul Reaper wrapped round my finger in ring form, my helmet tucked under my arm. The first years eyes were all trained on my...

I placed my normal black Corinthian helmet down on bench and clapped my hands "Okay everyone listen up, I'm Nico di Angelo, son of Hades" I rubbed my hands together nervously. "Today's ya first lesson in combat." nerves kept rising. "I see you all have your short swords, good. Now today we'll practice on these straw dummies" 'ok Nico, over kill on the days thing' one of the kids raised their hands.

"Where's your sword?" I couldn't see who was asking it, but I hoped like there was no tomorrow that the screamy girl wasn't here because I'd probably use her for practice…

"Oh here" I summoned Soul Reaper from its ring. "This is Soul Reaper, it's forged from Stygian Iron and one of only 3 of its kind in the world." I slowly waved it around as I spoke, knowing it would frighten them because Soul Reaper looked dark as sin and 12 times as scary. "Now I need a volunteer-" before I could finish a boy stepped forward

"Erwin Kreig, son of Ares!" he thumped his chest with the usual thick headedness I had come to expect from Ares' prodigy.

"Right, now do you know how to use a sword?" I asked as I flipped Reaper in my hand.

"I use sword often." he said in broken English as he stepped into the arena.

"Ok then, let's go" I flipped Reaper so I held it upside down with the blade running along the back of my forearm, one of my preferred styles. Erwin lunged at me and was flicked off to the side by my parry. "Now remember everyone, you have to think of a decent follow through if your slash is parried." I explain before I slashed at Erwin. I let him parry away my strike to the right; I brought my arm up, flipped Soul Reaper the right way up and thumped his helmet with the butt of my sword and flipped my sword back to my preferred style. Erwin wasted no time in counter attacking, he spun around and swung his sword at me with a great deal of force, quickly I flicked Reaper the right way up and slashed his sword in half. The tip of Erwin's short sword clattered to the ground "That's Stygian Iron for you."

"Whaaat?" the crowd gasped.

"Remember not all swords are equal. Erwin here put too much force into a flat bladed thrust." I got Erwin back up and fetched him a new sword, I paired up all the new campers and had them practice parries. Must have been awkward for them, taking instruction from a kid not too much older than themselves.

* * *

><p>Being both a camp instructor and a camper at the same time took a lot of getting used to, for after my day 1 sword training class, I had my Arts and Crafts with Hecate and Hermes cabins. <em>More time to make Connor blush, perfect.<em> If I hadn't had Connor Stoll to blackmail into talking to me, this class would have been the penultimate snooze. Thankfully he seemed pretty chatty on his own accord. Each of the campers were given a chunk of clay to sculpt into something. Usually I dislike arts and crafts, but when working with Clay I'm at my best. Children of Hades are good with their hands you see.

"So Connor," I struck up a conversation whilst his brothers and sisters were out of earshot.

"Nico?" He asked.

"What's is the deal with you and you know who." he gave me a quizzical look and then finally a little light clicked. _What had he done last night to make him forget?_

"Nothing really" he shrugged it off.

"_'Nothing really'_ doesn't leave boxer shorts on my floor and a bed I can't sleep in!" I protested.

"Can you keep it down!" he hushed me._ Reminder: Hurt or Humiliate Connor later, NO ONE shushes a son of Hades._

"If you tell me what the deal is." I reaffirmed, it was fun making him squirm, obviously not wanting to talk about it.

"It's no biggie" he dodged again. There was a moments silence before he looked at me and sighed, he had noticed that I had not averted my gaze the whole time. "Alright, alright, meet me by the stables after lunch," Connor broke off a small part of his clay and sculpted it into a weird horn of sorts. "Lou" he patted a girl next to him on the shoulder, "Can I get this as a Whisper Charm?" he asked.

"Sure C," Lou Ellen took the charm. "I'll get it back to you before lunch." Lou Ellen was one of the unclaimed campers during the war, though she had bloomed since she was claimed, her charms were the most powerful and long lasting of Hecate's campers.

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><p>I slumped behind the stables and sighed. Sliding down the side of the building I heaped myself up and waited for Connor. Off in the distance I noticed a shirtless water fight developing between some of Apollo's camper's and Percy, naturally it was a one sided fight as the buckets of water the Apollo campers threw just sloshed off Percy not even getting him wet. I zoned out just looking at them all, I was so zoned out I didn't even notice Connor calling my name until he waved his hand in front of my face.<p>

"Faaa!" I fell to one side in shock. I was about to scream an insult but his hand clasped over my mouth almost instantly.

"Shhh" he whispered. "Here," he slipped me the horn shaped charm. "Go hide behind the stables" he ordered me before he let go of my mouth. As I got up he began to gently hurry me by lightly shoving me.

"Okay alright already" I melted into the shadows of the stables like he asked, Connor looked pretty shocked as he watched me do it. The waiting game was on.

I started to think this was a joke of Connor's until I started to hear a voice... in my head. '-in time!' the voice was one of relief and satisfaction, though it seemed distorted by the something. I could hear muffled conversations between Connor and someone outside the stables. My ears picked up at the words 'Nico's Cabin' being spoken by the other camper there, after a few more clues were dropped such as 'was fun' and 'the look on his face' it was obviously Will Solace out there. The idea of ease dropping in was so gratifying I could barely hold in a chuckle. I squeezed the charm in an attempt to not laugh and suddenly the voices became louder and clearer.

'Maybe next time we should ask him to join' it was definitely Will Solace.

_'Join in what?'_ I thought to myself.

'I dunno if he's that way inclined' Connor replied.

'Inclined?' I asked myself.

'Really? He follows Percy like a lovesick puppy.' Will continued.

'Might just be friends?' asked Connor jokingly.

'Yes, just like you and Percy' Will laughed.

'Shut up' laughed Connor, 'Weren't we here to finish off, as they say, its over when its over-' just then the charm snapped, but not before I heard them coming round back of the stable. I readied to Shadow Travel to my room as they came round the corner, oblivious to my merged with the shadow status, what I saw was clear, Will was walking behind Connor, undoing his own belt... Oh damn.

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><p>Hope you enjoyed that! Please review and tell me what ya think! The story can only get better with your feedback.<br>Thanks!


	3. Thanks for helping not

Thanks to everyone who has read this far! And double thank you too everyone who reviewed! Well here is chapter two, I wrote it one night on my vacation!

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><p><strong>~Chapter 3~<strong>  
><em>"Thanks for helping... not"<em>

I was pretty sure I was confusing a lot of people at camp, the Son of Hades had become a space cadet. Not in the geek sense but my mind was just a million miles away, I was so out of it I almost let Erwin land a blow in sword class much to everyone's shock. All day I seemed to be brought back to the 'stable incident', which I will NOT go into. Shirtless campers running around in the summer sun just kept messing with my head.

'When I'm confused and lost I usually go talk to Chiron, he has wisdom about things.' That's what Percy used to tell me, so I thought I'd give it a go.

The big house was pretty daunting sight as I walked up the steps, typical as usual Chiron was sitting in his deck chair shuffling a deck of cards.

"Chiron," I approached, he looked up and smiled.

"A game Mr di Angelo?" he asked cheerfully

"I actually wanted to talk to you about something sir..." I rubbed my right elbow with my left hand shyly.

"Well we can do both" he smiled as he dealt out the cards. "Go Fish?" he asked.

"Okay" I sat down as he dealt me my cards.

"So what has been troubling you Mr diAngelo?" he asked.

"Well you se-got any two's?" I asked instinctively. The centaur handed over a of hearts. Chiron cocked his eyebrow up at me. "Oh," I remembered my purpose for coming to the porch. "Well you see, I've been getting a bit confused lately" I evaded his glance as he probed my face for information.

"Got any Fives?"

"Go fish,"

"Confused about what Nico?" he asked, drawing his cards.

"Well that's the thing, I'm not too sure... Got any fours?"

"hmm sounds like you are indeed greatly confused. Go fish" I drew my card. "When did this all start?" he asked. "Do you have any fives?"

"Go fish. Yesterday I suppose," As Chiron probed me for information I began to realize what had been bugging me, and I must be easy to read cause Chiron seemed to know too. I summed up my thoughts and dove in. "What's Camps policy on um," I rubbed my neck awkwardly " _'relations'_ " I finished, what a good word to use...

"Hmm my boy," Chiron placed his cards down. "What exactly do you mean?" he asked.

'Oh lord he'll make me spell it out...' "Well," I rubbed my neck again awkwardly. "I was at the stables yesterday, and well, two campers were uh," I looked over at the stables off in the distance, the images flowed back in my mind, just like Connors hands had over Will Solace's- I looked away and shock my head.

"Let me guess," Chiron linked his hands and propped his chin up with his thumbs. " Percy?" he raised his eyebrows.

"What no, it was Connor and Will Solace." I shook my head in disbelief. "Wait what's this about Percy?" I asked, my face became pretty flushed.

Chiron was obviously holding something back from me, and he just dangled one hell of a morsel in front of me! "Nothing Nico, I shouldn't have said anything my boy." Chiron exited his wheelchair and shivered. "Thought I you must ask about those 'relations' I may need to find a new history tutor for camp" he sighed.

"Chiron?" I raised my eyebrow.

Chiron paused and replied "The love between two men used to be celebrated, Alexander and Hephaestion, Achilles and Patroculas." bad historical movies flashed in front of my eyes. "Those feelings were extremely common in the children of the gods as well, such as Alexander, son of Zeus." I nodded, not really knowing what to say "Now Nico if you would excuse me" Chiron turned and left the porch rather promptly, leaving me alone. Thanks for helping... not.

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><p>Well the day just didn't get any better from there on really. I followed through my classes with the disconnected felling I'd been having since the... 'stable incident'. I went into the woods to be left alone with my thoughts and to seek council with my most trusted advisor.<p>

"Nico" Bianca's shade shimmered into existence. For the first time I did not try and hug my sister, knowing my hands would glide through her ghostly body

"How've you been?" I asked, casual conversations.

"Good, the Isle is good." she smiled back, a smile that always reassured me. "And you?"

"Fine, fine" I avoided her gaze momentarily "Um, Bee there's something I need to ask you," Bianca's ghostly eyebrow raised.

"Oh?"

"You have memories of our past right?" I nervously shuffle

"Yeah, they came back when I died." Bianca gazed carefully at me. It's amazing how she can see straight through me, as if I was more transparent than her.

"Um, do you remember anything,... Weird about me?" I asked, looking at my feet.

She let out a ghostly sigh and shook her head. "You were pretty normal as I remember, well normal for a demigod… What's wrong little brother?"

"It's um, nothing" I shook my head.

"No its not, your my little brother and by god you're gonna tell me or I'll haunt you" Bianca put her foot down, not caring that it phased through the floor.

"What? That's stupid, I'm the King of Ghosts"

"Nico diAngelo..." Bianca's eyes narrowed as if she was about to do something powerful and scary. Bianca's features lightened as she cracked a smile. "You are my little brother, I'll love you no matter what, but you have to tell me, or else!"

"Fine..." I looked back at her and sighed a sigh that'd make Aeolus proud. "I think I've got a crush"

"Who's the boy?" she asked straight off the phalanx.

"What? Why do you assume it's a boy?"

"Cause I know you well... And it's obvious." she laughed "It's Percy Jackson isn't it!" she smiled. Somehow being raised in the 40s and dying at 16, Bianca was pretty progressive!

I shook my head in disagreement. "It's um... Promise not to laugh?" Bianca made a scouts honour promise gesture. "Connor Stoll,.. Son of Hermes" I winced waiting for her to laugh.

"A son of Hermes?"

"Yeah..." I blushed cheek to cheek

"Well I hope you t- wait, does he like you back?"

It was then that I realized I had worked up the courage to tell my dead sister I was a fag, but didn't even know if my respected crush even liked me back. "Um I'm not sure…"

"Nico" Bianca ran her hand down her face and sighed. "You gotta find out, but be classy about it, get a date too while you're at it!" she laughed.

"How the hell do I do that?" I asked throwing my arms up in mock rage.

"Allies, every demigod has allies, consider this a quest" Bianca smiled evilly "I would love to stay little brother, but I've been here long enough, the spirits are getting restless… Don't be a stranger." I waved to Bianca as she began to fade back into the underworld.

"Thanks for helping sis" I smiled as the last of her spectre vanished.

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><p>I trudged out of the woods to see the sun falling slowly in the sky, it was about 4pm and I needed some more help on this. Romance was way out of my depth… so this gay love stuff was about as out of my depth as could be which meant I was pretty unprepared, kind of like using a snorkel and flippers to cross the Atlantic. Luckily fate wouldn't let me suffer alone as inspiration struck me.<p>

"I need an ally right…" I thought to myself as I walked out of the forest towards my cabin. My hands were dug deep in my pockets as I thought to myself. I was probably giving off that aura of "keep away" because no one dared even look at me. I made my way down to the beach to think, suppose it always worked for Percy, mind you he was always under 20ft of water…

"Hey you're kind of blocking my sun…" a familiar voice rang out behind me. I turned around silently to see Mitchell, the son of Aphrodite relaxing in the thin black pair of speedos. I think I had just interrupted his tanning session.

"Sorry," I stepped over to the side while I thought of a snarky comment to give to Love Goddess' son… Yep, that's when it hit me. "Hey Mitchell," I sat down next to him and smiled a kinda creepy smile I'll admit.

"Yes Nico?" he asked, I could tell his eyes were scanning me from behind his big oversized bug eye glasses. Hmph, and Percy says I wear stupid things.

"You're queer right?" I asked politely.

"If by 'queer' you mean gay, as in I like boys… then yes I am 'queer'" he mocked me. I supressed the urge to make more snarky comments, but this may be my only chance…

"I um," Blushed, that's what I did… "Mitchell, I kinda um, need to talk to you." I played with some sand that was getting on my boots.

"Oh?" He raised his eyebrows above his glasses rim.

"Yeah, it's ah, a bit private…" with those words I grabbed his full attention. Typical sons of Aphrodite I say.

"Oh?" he lifted his sun glasses and smirked "Why Nico, I thought you'd never ask."

"Oh get off it Lipstick Brain!" I gave Mitchell a weakish glare. "I just want to talk ok?" I shook my head to dismiss his sexual thoughts, well I was guessing they were sexual... Oh come on he's a son of Aphrodite, and she isn't exactly known for her clean mind.

"Chill Nico," Aphrodite's son stood up and smiled. Mitchell gathered up his things (Which thankfully included a white singlet and board shorts) and followed me back to my cabin.

* * *

><p>5 minutes and one surprisingly unawkward conversation later...<p>

"NO WAY!" Mitchell was gob smacked to say the least, hell he was practically blown away by my confession. Not that it was a confession like in a jury trial, more like an... imparting of knowledge onto 'brain' of one of Aphrodite's smarter children.

"Yeah… just um keep it down will you?" I was tempted to muzzle him he was being SO loud... Did I just emphasise the word 'so'? oh gods its starting! I'm turning into one of THEM! You know, the gays who have handbags and little rat-dog things in them.

"You're kidding me…" he began to look around my cabin, checking doors in case Connor was hiding behind one. Mitchell was often the butt of Connor's jokes which I really find a bit sad; after all they play for the same team!

"No I'm not… Sit down damn it!" I barked and he complied. "Now I need some help on, well everything" I sighed. _'Oh gods, what have I gotten myself into.'_ I thought.

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><p>This chapter is super short cause I couldn't figure out how to move from this point to the next point in the story smooth enough... Chapter 4 will be here any day.<p>

Sorry about any spelling errors, I went over this a few times, if anyone has errors I miss out on all the time, feel free to IM me with them.

THANKS AGAIN!


	4. Oh lord what have I gotten myself into

Here's Chapter 4 peoples. I'm working on chapter Five right now.

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><p><strong>~Chapter 4~<br>**_"Oh lord what have I gotten myself into...?"_

I gazed out over the camp from one of the smaller hills around camp, off in the distance I saw the Hermes cabin boys going against the Apollo cabin boys in a college football game... Ah the weekends. Percy and Annabeth were off having a 'deep and meaningful' under the lake, leaving me alone to myself...

"Well got any ideas?" Mitchell came up the hill and sat on the grass beside me. Mitchell's one of the openly gay campers and my confidant for this little plan. Ok so I wasn't really alone!

"I dunno, I'm not a child of Athena so complex plans aren't in my nature,"

"No duh, that River Styx thing that you and Percy did in the war was nuts" Mitchell rolled his eyes.

"Shut up" I shook my head in a depressed fashion.

"Well you could always just go and ask him out?" I gave him one of those looks that could freeze fire. "Oh or not?" he held his hands up in defence.

"Yeaah I thought you were kidding... I need to see if he's even keen first" I stroked my chin.

"Well sounds like you need some recon" he mused.

"What about you? Can't you ask him, you two used to be together didn't you?"

"For all of like 2 weeks" he retorted.

"Don't you sons and daughters of Aphrodite have the power to sense feelings?"

"Eh telepathy was never my strong point... Plus Connor and I were 'close', if I tried to read him he'd know instantly." he evaded my gaze. A sign to drop it. "If I'm not mistaken, I sense a great amount of fear on your behalf Nico. You REALLY don't wanna ask him do you." well that's when he caught me out... All I could do was sit there and start to protest. "Fair enough though. Second to Percy, Connor is the camp golden boy"

"Yeah..." I looked down at my cloths, baggy black jeans, black army boots, dark grey shirt and aviator jacket.

"Hmm" Mitchell looked at me like he was weighing up something in his mind. "Come with me,"

I had made a good effort to try and be 'in the closet' since I realized I had a thing for my own gender, which was totally blown out of the water when half the camp saw me being dragged across camp by Mitchell and into Aphrodite's cabin. Its not what you think geez.

"Well" Mitchell announced as he made me sit down on one of the chairs opposite his closet. "Your problem Mr. diAngelo is you know how to fade in the back ground."

"King of Ghosts" I sighed as I opened my aviator jacket and showed him my shirt. 'Prince of Ghosts'

"Well that's not exactly sexy Nico," Mitchell rubbed his chin. "And those boots..."

"What's wrong with my boots?" I asked defensively.

"They look like they're from World War 2 Nico..."

"They ARE!"

"Fashion Nico, it changes" Mitchell made a fluid motion with his hands.

_'Oh lord what have I gotten myself into...?'_ Mitchell began ransacking his closet, pulling out random cloths and giving his opinion before placing them on piles.

"You ever tried...red?" Mitchell held up a red mesh 'shirt'

"No, and NO!" I shook my head vigorously.

"Nico come on, its style!" Mitchell was so caught up in his love of the red shirt thingy that... Well to be honest it was more magenta/hot pink *Cough*... Anyway he was so caught up in it I had to give him a reality check.

"MITCHELL!" I yelled, the lights in the cabin darkened for a second and my eyes apparently glowed for an instant.

"Eep!" Mitch dropped the 'meshirt' and obviously clicked to my annoyance. "Sorry... Got carried away" he blushed.

"You got so carried away I was beginning to think I'd have to FedEx you your brain" I rolled my eyes. "So you think I need colour to get him to notice me?" I asked.

"Yes! Colour is key!" he lit up again. "But what is most important is wearing clothes that work for your body type..." Mitchell looked at me with 'that look', the look that meant I was going to be in for trouble...

"Um," I shuffled around on my seat "Why are you looking at me like that?" I asked.

Mitchell paused for a moment like he was about to ask something very, awkward. Mitchell let out a giggle and spun around back into his closet "Hehehe!" 2 minutes later he popped back around holding dark blue slim jeans and a dark purple tee...with no sassy slogan. "Try these on!" He smiled as he pulled the hospitalesque curtain around the bed so I could have privacy.

I re-emerged dressed in my new cloths and felt... Rather colourful actually, even though it was all black! "Looking good Nico!" Mitchell smiled. Personally I thought the fact my nipples showed through was a bad thing...

"Do you have anything a bit more... Straight?" I asked, blushing ear to ear.

"Hmm," Mitchell fetched a blood red polo and handed it to me.

"Um..." I gave him an awkward look. "This seems a bit... Well... Son of Ares" I sighed.

"Well you have NO tan, so it's not exactly easy to dress you in anything colourful." Mitchell sat on his bed like he was about to admit defeat when a moment of inspiration struck him. "Aha!" he barrel rolled to his foot locker, after a little rummaging he pulled out a blue, black and white checked shirt. "This!"

All I could do was blink, it was a good shirt. "Paired with my black spider shirt?" I asked.

"Layering, nice trick. You're catching on quick Nico!" Mitchell smiled and handed me the shirt. "Keep them, you'll need them!"

I raised a quizzical eyebrow that left Mitchell rubbing his face. "What?" I asked defensively.

"Next week is the One Year Anniversary to commemorate the end of the war!" Mitchell caused quite a ruckas. "Pollux is bringing out some wine he stashed away from his father," I could instantly see where Mitchell was going. As I opened my mouth to vehemently protest he simply raised a finger and went. "ah, ah, ah. Drunken words are Sober Thoughts Nico my dear."

"You have an... Interesting view on the world." I rolled my eyes,

* * *

><p>I walked out of the Aphrodite Cabin carrying 3 bags of shirts, shorts and 'accessories' Mitchell demanded I take. The short son of Aphrodite had summoned a storm that put Percy to shame when I had said I didn't need any accessories.<p>

I turned to the statue of my father, "Just... Don't... Please..." I kept starring at the statue in its little shrine. "WHAT?" I raised my arms up above my head. I pointed an accusing finger at my father's statue "Don't you judge me!"

A voice rung out from lounge "Um, Nico?" I almost dropped the bags in shock as the voice hit my ears.

"H-hello?" I asked, as if the possible home invader would answer me.

"I'm in the lounge" called out a familiar voice.

"Percy?" I leaned forward into the lounge to see the Son of Poseidon sitting on my couch with his feet up on the coffee table, hands dug firmly in his jeans.

"Hey man" his sea green eyes locked on me with my bags. "Did you go shopping?"

"No?" 'Great he's lost the plot...' I thought before I realised I was holding 'those' bags.

"Sure you didn't go shopping?" Percy took his flip flopped feet off the coffee table and sat up, obviously preparing for a good story.

I started my reply and realised i wasn't quite ready to tell Percy the whole story... "Mit-wait how do you keep getting in here!" I asked throwing the bags into my room and placing my hands on my hips. "I locked my door."

"There aren't any locks on the doors" Percy laughed and stood up. The son of Poseidon had a wary look about him I didn't like.

"So what can I do for you?" I asked trying to figure out his jaded expression.

"How are you with Girls?" He asked me, pretty bluntly I might say.

"Um, why?" I walked over to my small kitchenette. My father added a small kitchenette to my cabin, for in the event I was ostracized I could still eat, nice isn't it.

"I think I may be having trouble with Annabeth."

_'Oh my, trouble in paradise, this can't be good'_ I thought to myself as Percy came into the kitchenette with me. "Do you, ya know, wanna talk about it?" I asked, fetching some water from the fountain.

"We had a big talk the other day in the canoe lake," Percy started off, resting on the bench.

"I know, in fact all of camp knows," I laughed.

"Damn it, we tried to be discrete" he laughed, which was good, shows it wasn't terminal.

"Any way you were saying?" I asked, urging for more details.

"We were having a deep and meaningful discussion about her restoration of Olympus. She is thinking of taking more time off camp to work on it."

"But won't she be near your house then?"

Percy shook his head. "She'd be moving into Olympus, and Chiron wants me to stay longer during the year. More kids are becoming year rounders." he explained. Everything about this struck me as being weird, very weird. Annabeth and Percy were like a golden couple, the iconic couple of camp.

"So I take it you won't get to see each other much?" I asked pretty much as a rhetorical question as the answer was obvious.

"Not really" he sighed.

"That sucks" I sighed.

"I was wondering if you knew anything I could say or do?" Percy stood up off the bench and took the water glass I placed next to him. "I don't wanna ask the Aphrodite cabin" Percy curled his lips dissatisfied. I gave him my trade mark curious gaze., "'cause using love magic to solve my problems isn't right" he explained in his usual noble fashion.

"Hmm," I stroked my chin, ignoring the hilarious side of this. Percy an 18 year old was asking a relatively 16 year old me for love advice. "Aren't I a little young to be sorting out your romantic problems?" I asked.

"No? You're almost 70?" he looked at me with a crooked eyebrow.

"Lets not get into this again~" I rubbed my temples as my memories of last time we tried to figure my age out came flooding back. "So you don't want to use magic, but you want to get things back to normal?" I asked, raising a plucky eyebrow, waiting for a reply.

"Yeah"

"Oh damn..." I strummed my fingers on my black basalt bench. "Follow me," I grabbed Percy's wrist and 'dragged' him to my bathroom.

"Nico?" Percy played with the bottom of his orange shirt. Ignoring Percy's probable confusion as to why we were in my bathroom. Come to think of it, Percy must be using that seaweed filled brain of his if he can't understand. I reached for my faucet and pushed the spray level to 'Iris'. A light rainbow formed moments later. "Ooohh" he smiled as he watched me pull out a gold coin from my coin bowl by the sink, convenient no? I threw the coin in and said the prayer. "Show me Sally Blowfish" I commanded, respectfully of course. There was an odd bleeping.

"The person you are contacting does not exist... Please stop using Iris messages for prank calls." the hollow voice rang out.

"Nico what're you doing? Trying to call my mom?" Percy protested on deaf ears.

_'OH its Blofis!'_ revelation flew over me. "Please show me Sally Blofis" I requested. Surely enough Sally appeared in view... looking down at us.

"Aah!" she let out a yelp and stumbled out of view in freight. "You're Nico?" She poked her head back into the pot.

"Hi Mrs. Blofis" I smiled awkwardly.

"What're you doing... In my stew?" she asked. It hit me then, the Iris message had formed in her stew pot... For some bizarre reason.

"Sorry to bother you Mrs. Blofis but Percy wants to talk to you" I smiled, grabbing Percy by the collar and pushing him into view. "Speak." Percy stammered and protested before he finally began talking to his mother. I left them to their privacy and headed back into the lounge to wait. It's a wonderfully crazy and entertaining thing to watch an ADHD demigod child have nothing to do but twiddle their thumbs for 20 minutes. It's a crazily horrible and torturous thing (not in a good way) to be that demi god... _'Rah! How long do they need to talk!'_ I thought to myself. I waved my hands over flowers Rachel had offered me as a house warming gift. One by one the little daises died each time I waved my hand over them, perhaps it's a Freudian thing, the name Daisy seems familiar, maybe I hated a Daisy when I was growing up... Oh well.

Percy emerged from my bathroom a while later, his head obviously swimming with 1980's ideas of romance and relationship advice. Maybe getting his mom to talk to him wasn't the best idea...

"So?" I asked as I placed the half dead flower arrangement on my breakfast bar that divided the kitchenette and lounge.

"She gave me some... 'advice'." he sighed and collapsed on my couch again, one of his flip flops hanging off his foot. "She said just apologise," Percy grumbled.

"Hmm?" I leaned over kitchenette curiously.

"Yeah, just say it was all my fault" he moaned, stuffing his hands into his pockets, almost pushing his denim shorts straight off.

I was about to reply when my vision blurred, a low ringing sound filled my ears. I seemed to pass out, I felt as if I toppled to the side, instead of hitting the tilled floor I fell straight through the floor and spiralled down. I tried to open my mouth and scream but nothing happened, I couldn't even shadow travel to safety.

* * *

><p>A few flashes of light later and my world had reoriented itself. I was outside an old fashioned restaurant, the writing on the walls looked like the bastard love child of Greek and Latin... "German?" as I whispered to myself a loud car moved behind me, it was a very old car, made of wood... People around me were definitely speaking German and they were dressed pretty old, like it was the very late 1800s or the very early 1900s. I turned my gaze back into the restaurant to see a very pretty woman sitting opposite a tall dark haired man. The two were eating away at their meals, the lady had a baby boy next to her asleep in a basket. Even though the baby's face looked like a usual baby I could feel something familiar about him. A bunch of red roses sat discarded next to the woman, half covered by her shall as if she did not wish to be reminded of them.<p>

"The children of my nephew are beginning to become restless." the man spoke in a voice that stung in my mind. Where did I know it from. The man cut his steak and seemed to savour the taste of it as he began to chew.

The woman glared at him, as if she was rather very annoyed. "..."

"How is little Addie?" he asked trying to make conversation as the lady munched on her salad.

"...Good..." she replied.

The dark haired man looked pained at her treatment of him. The sad look on his face made my memory of him blur.

The two sat in silence while they ate, I was transfixed and couldn't seem to break contact...

After 10 minutes the man placed his fork and knife down, his hand moved on top of the lady's... Their eyes met. "My love, I am sorry." his lover just looked back at him coldly. I should have known pink roses were your favourite." his eyes locked on hers, apart from a quick glance to the red roses. There was a tense moment before she cracked a small smile.

"Oh darling" she wooed.

"Excuse me," the waiter arrived with a tray of drinks. "One neat scotch" the waiter placed the drink down next to the dark haired man, "And one red wine for Mrs. Hitler" smiled the waiter as he placed the wine in front of the lady. Suddenly everything began to click into place; the familiar feeling was that of history. The baby 'Addie' was Adolf Hitler, the woman his mother, and the man... I turned to look at him, he was staring straight dead back at me with his dark eyes.

"F-fath-her" I whispered. A cold wind blew over me. I closed my eyes to protect myself from the cold, when I reopened them I was leaning against my breakfast bar.

Percy blinked at me. "Nico? You blanked out for a second," he did not seem to worried.

"I uh, had a vision." I rubbed my head while I tried to decipher what I saw in the vision… though it didn't feel like it was a vision, more like a 4D experience at Disney World.

"Really? From your father?" he asked. Another light bulb went off in my head.

"I think so... But I think it may be for you?" I scratched my neck.

"Huh?" Percy didn't sound very switched on.

I decided to spare him the details and told him the bare essentials about the dinner between my father and his 'lover'. "Hey Percy, this vision has tired me out, mind if I crash for a bit and catch up with you later today?"

"Sure no problem. I'll be in my cabin." with those words Percy was off.

Once I was sure Percy was gone I looked out into my lounge. 'My family...' I wondered what other dark secrets my family held... I threw a gold coin from my pocket into the centre of the room. "Alecto" I commanded. This was no Iris message. Without delay the coin turned to black smog, the smog continued to expand before it contracted into the form of Alecto the Fury.

"Master Nico?" she flapped her wings before contracting into the more acceptable form of Ms. Dodds.

"Alecto, speak to me of my brothers and sisters of time gone by. Let me learn my past." I commanded/enchanted. Alecto, one of my servants had no choice to reply.

"Sons, Daughters of Hades..." she spoke in a mystic tone, I could feel the mist getting denser in my cabin "Vlad the Impaler, Grigori Rasputin, Mordred, Jack the Ripper, Joseph Stalin, Ivan the Fourth-" That's when I had had enough of my family tree, it's not the nicest thing in the world I can tell you that, to learn that your step brothers make up some of the most evil people in human history. I make my way to my couch warily and sat down, I always suspected that the children of the underworld may be cruel, but nothing like what I had discovered. I dismissed Alecto with a wave of my hand and flopped myself down on my couch to process everything…

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><p>Well there we go, the fourth chapter is up. As Shakespeare once wrote "The game is afoot."<br>A few notes: I'm bringing in Mitchell and some other Heroes of Olympus characters.


	5. The Little Three

Thanks for all the reviews guys! Thanks go out especially to 'major ed groupie' for picking up my little slip. I've gone and fixed it all up! Well here is Chapter 5.

Bringing Jason Grace as well from the Lost Hero because with the Titan war killing off a good number of our Half Bloods, this story needs some fresh blood!

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><p><strong>~Chapter 5~<br>**_"The Little Three"_

The sleep I got that night was dreadful, absolute tripe. Now you see, Mortals think their nightmares suck, dreams of falling, being hunted by murderers and so on. Those dreams are a walk in the park compared to a demigod's dreams. We get psychotic prophecies about the end of the world, demons threatening to kill us and occasionally an SOS from an immortal who broke down on the I15. Last night I had my worst dream to date. I was playing 'Go Fish' with Hitler, Vlad, Jack, Stalin and Ivan... All the darker sides of my family. They mocked me and tormented me throughout the game. So I awoke the next morning, with back and headaches that felt like they had been delivered as a divine punishment for a crime in Hades. But regardless I soldiered on out my cabin door to breakfast and then yonder to my favourite subject in the whole wide world and all the heavens… Arts and Crafts. Nothing is more exhilarating than sitting cross legged for an hour fiddling around with paper mache, pottery shards and clay… By now you should have realised that I actually HATE Arts and Crafts and all proceeding endorsements of it have been total lies. Today's Arts and Crafts was the worst yet in a way, it was the Big Three Cabins and Athena Cabin (Sans Annabeth that was off teaching an Architecture class in the theatre) Naturally us Big Three Kids (that's Percy, myself and Jason Grace if you must know!) huddled together in the corner of the circular area assigned for Arts and Crafts. Yes you read that right after four thousand years mathematicians still haven't come up with a way to find a corner in a circle, yet three ADHD, Dyslexic Demigodlings were. I digress. Arts and Crafts was going along at its usual pace, the Athena campers were half way through sculpting their mini marble statues or putting the final touches on their labyrinths, while Percy continued to glue his fingers to the paper mache, Jason continued to get small cuts from his pottery shards for his mini mosaic and me? Well I kept on trying to not hot glue my fingers to my little photo frame I was making for '… oh gods I don't even know who I'm making this for!' I thought as the revelation hit me.

"So Jason, how do you like camp?" Percy asked, trying to take attention off the 4th finger he had glued on to his paper mache.

"It's great." Jason smiled as he covertly moved his hand towards the bandaid box, only to burn himself on my hot glue gun.

"Careful there" I chuckled to myself as if I was a responsible older camper, which I definitely wasn't, Jason was not just 2 years older than me, but he arrived at camp not long after I had as well. But hey, the nitwit burnt his finger on my hot glue gun. Being the nice and mature camper I aspire to be, I handed Jason his bandaid without smirking TOOO much.

"Thanks Nico," Jason smirked back. "Cool frame, whose it for?" he asked, leaning over to get a slightly better look at it.

"Um, that is a good question…" I sighed and turned the frame around, I'd manage to glue tiles of every shade from black to white on it, and specs of bronze were caught in the glue which made it sparkle in the sun light. It wasn't the most attractive thing in the world.

"What about your mom?" asked Jason, trying to sound helpful, really he just put his foot in his mouth, not that anyone had told him his dad blew my mom up with a lightning bolt from orbit. Bless Percy though, he nudged Jason in the side gently and gaze him a head shaking gesture. "Woops…" Jason hung his head and went back to his mosaic.

"I'm going down to the lake after this, you guys want to come with?" asked Percy with a smile. Percy was really putting effort into the 'Children of the Big Three need to stick together!' idea he came up with when Jason arrived at camp.

"Sounds like a plan" Jason smiled before twisting a ring on his finger which made the same crackling noise as lightning. His grounding ring, a magical item given to him by Lou Ellen from Hecate Cabin, it enabled him to go into the water without the risk of 'electrifrying' everyone in the lake. You could call that a down side of being the son of 'Jupiter' as he called it.

"Sure" I nodded to Percy's proposition, that's when it struck me. "Percy,"

"Yeah Nico?"

"Do you think your Mom'd want this?" I asked him, smiling hopefully.

"You sure?" he asked, I didn't offer things up often.

"She let me stay at yours a few times, it would be nice pay back" I smiled genuinely.

"Um, Nico, you gave her a diamond the size of a walnut last Christmas… I think ya paid her back then." Percy laughed. I tended to give away diamonds and golden things a lot; you literally trip over them in Dad's palace. The look on Jason's face was almost priceless, he was bug eyed and his jaw was hanging pretty loose.

"Nico, if you ever want to give one away…" nawh Jason, how cute…

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><p>Arts and Crafts finished pretty quick, after a quick detour to Percy's cabin to pick up some stuff we headed to the camp pier. Percy laid back on the small pier, Jason and I sat on either side of him and looked out over the Long Island Sound. Us three, the 'Little Three' as we were known were chilling out with a 6 pack of smuggled in soda. The conversation topic you ask? Percy telling Jason all about the battle for Manhattan.<p>

"The streets were quiet after we beat the first wave off, dust was settling down slowly...And then this hell hound came out of the shadows!" Percy set up the scene and broke into full action. "It bit at my face over and over. If it wasn't for Chiron pressuring me to train, I'd probably be here with no face! Haaha" Percy laughed.

"Actually Percy, you'd probably not be here at all," I sucker punched Percy across the shoulder.

"Argh" he rubbed his arm softly, not that he needed too, the small of his back was his only weak point. Recovering the conversation Percy looked at me and smiled. "Ya know Nico, it's good to see you making more friends," I stopped to think for a moment. Had Percy heard of my attempt to create undead sparring partners/friends in San Francisco. Naturally being my best friend he caught up on my confusion. "Ya seem pretty close to Connor and Mitchell" Percy hinted something rather, rather dirty.

_'I thought Connor was still closeted...'_ I thought to myself

"Whose Connor and Mitchell?" Jason piped up as he sipped his Pepsi.

I cleared my throat to reply "Connor is the co-councillor of Hermes Cabin, and Mitchell is-" I was cut off.

"The Camp Flower." Percy added firmly.

"Flower?" Jason's eyebrow went up so far it would make Mr. Spock jealous.

"Queer" I clarified.

"I see," Jason nodded and put down his pepsi. "Only natural camp would have a couple I suppose," Jason shrugged "I mean come on, our Dads have had a few throws of passion with mortal men... And it was encouraged in Ancient Greece." for a kid the same age as Percy, Jason sure has his head screwed on... And when the Aphrodite girls walked past during their Path Finding course, Jason sure wished something ELSE 'screw' related was happening.

"Hmm looks like we're out," Percy looked at the empty 6 pack of Soda. "Nico...?" he hinted clearly.

Everyone thinks the ability to appear anywhere in the world on a shadowy whim is great... But the downside... People expect you to go get things. Nico diAngelo, putting FedEx and Pizza Delivery people out of a job since the second Titan war… "Right, I'll get some more for tonight?" I asked them like it was an obvious suggestion. There was a resounding agreement.

"Guys, I have a stupid question..." Jason looked up at a passing cloud.

"Shoot." Percy and I replied quickly.

"Do you, ya know, hear voices from ya Dad's familiars?" Jason asked, rather innocently.

Without a second thought I pointed straight at the ground and Percy pointed at the lake. "All. The. Time" Percy replied in a dry semi sarcastic voice that put even me to shame.

"Fish?" Jason asked.

"And horses... Ever gone to the aquarium? Its torture for me... It's like being on Oprah!"

"What about you Nico?"

"Dead people, I live just like the ghost whisperer some days." I chuckled. "What talks to you Jason?"

"Mostly birds, and a lot of venti." Zeus' son seemed fine with it all.

"Venti?" Percy being the usual seaweed brain he was had the Latin shoot over his head.

"Storm Spirits, Annabeth would call them Anemoi, didn't you go to the MythoMonster seminar she had on Tuesday?" I whispered in his ear.

"Ugh. Could we not talk about Annabeth?" Percy seemed very defensive about it. Being a professional Percy-Watcher (DAMN that sounds creepy...) I looked between gaps in between the piers planks to see the water becoming choppy.

"Things not to flash with Annabeth?" Jason jokingly teased. And the waves got choppier.

It was up to me to stop Jason's innocent banter, before it had the pier torn apart by a tsunami in a canoe lake. "Let's not talk about this,"

"Right…" Jason picked up on my death glare and stopped quick smart. Smart little cookie isn't he, mind you if I had given this glare to anyone BUT a godling they probably would have dropped dead. Luckily Jason really did pick up on the 'change topic' message. "AH this sun is GLORIOUS!" he smiled as he stretched out on the pier.

'A tan wouldn't kill you Nico…' I heard Mitchell's voice echo in my brain and glanced up at the sun, my hand above my eyes to block out some of the rays.

"Hmm…" a moment of thought was taken before I undertook a very radical move, well radical for me at least. You see what I did shocked even me a bit, I took off my shirt and propped myself up on my arms. Percy was dumbfounded, completely and utterly. I enjoyed that look on his face haha!

"Pale much?" Jason snickered.

"Shut up" I laughed and went back to soaking up my sun. So I had the clothes, and now I was working on the body and the tan… All that was left was the guts and the boy… How hard can it be? … If only I had known..

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><p>Believe it or not, chapter 6 is already halfway through the works! Probably be up tomorrow or the day after! Oooo the anticipation!<br>To be honest I think this chapter is the weakest in the story thus far. Oh well! Chapter 6 will be better!


	6. Four fights in two days

Well thanks everyone who has reviewed thus far! A few A/Ns at the bottom.

Read and Review guys!

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><p><strong>~Chapter 6~<strong>  
><em>"4 fights in 2 days."<em>

Being a demigod that was trapped in a casino displaced in time, I'd say I am pretty out of touch with high school things such as prom, dating, jocks and so forth. Luckily Camp Half Blood had NONE of that, instead we burn food, tried to cut each other to little bits and climb walls of Lava... Well except this week... In 4 days it'd be the biggest party in Camp Memory, the anniversary of OUR victory over the Titan Lord Kronos! The downside? Its bringing out the normal kid in all of us, we're worrying about dates and everything... Great...

"So..." Mitchell sat on my couch with his different 'guy liners' spread over my coffee table, carefully considering each one. Mitchell picked up each and examined it, weighing up their pros and cons in terms of colour and sex appeal... Probably… Not that I'd know.*Ahem* moving on shall we?

"Not yet" I sighed putting my feet up on the coffee table.

"Nico..." Mitchell gave me a sad, sad look. "He's no Percy, but Connor is hot property with both the guys and girls,"

"I know," I rolled my eyes and looked over out the frosted glass window.

"Well you better hurry up then" he laughed.

"It's not exactly easy!" I thumped my hand down on the side of my couch. Mitchell dropped one of his guy liners in freight.

"Hahaa, I remember the first time I asked a boy out," Mitchell laughed to himself trying to lighten the mood. "It was Van Brash, son of Ares. I was so nervous I almost threw up while I was talking to him!"

"What'd he say?" I asked, leaning in a little.

"He said no," Mitchell laughed. "That night I got so upset I wound up behind the stables, met Connor, and that they say is that!" he giggled, as if my butterflies, inadequacies and everything were completely insignificant.

"I'm glad prophecy is an Apollo trait." I rolled my eyes and looked at his guy liners. If prophecy had been handed down to the children of Aphrodite I'd have started to feel very, very, very, VERY worried.

"Want to try one?" Mitchell's voice dripped with the joy of the thought of making someone up. He had a Barbie growing up, for sure.

"Um, I'll pass," I held up my hand indicating 'stop'.

"Come on Nico, you'd look dead cool!" oh Mitchell, trying to use puns like that will get you nowhere!

"I'm. Fine." ah the death glare, shuts them up every time. "I'm trying to stay on the down low,"

"Ah," Mitchell faked revelation. "Well, I hate to break it to ya but it's not exactly working," he laughed.

"Whaat?-" disbelief 101

"A few have caught on, I'm no shrinking violet after all," Mitchell placed his hand on his chest and giggled like a soap star. "And then there's the Percy thing..."

"What Percy thing?" I demanded to know.

"You used to follow him like a lost puppy. People were bound to start talking."

"Sure Percy's attractive, but he's like a brother to me!" I defended.

Mitchell put his hand on my leg and smiled "It's just gossip Nico dear," a cliché saying, with a cliché voice, nice one Mitchell.

"Better be," before I knew it Soul Reaper's skull eyed ring began giving off tiny wisps of black smoke. I fanned them away, a clear signal to keep my emotions in check.

"*Ahem*" Mitchell cleared his throat, a sign he was about to get serious. "Well we only have 4 more days, so we better get you looking good!"

"Mitch, you gave me some shirts and that all ready."

"Ah but this is the Pah-har-ta-hay" Mitchell rocked some weird Latin music inspired moves. On the couch. Which was weird. Believe me.

"Right..." I rolled my eyes and laid back, arms crossed. "What do I need to do this time?" I asked.

"Take off your cloths."

_'WHAT! The guy's gone whacko!'_ raced through my mind. But deep down I was actually, okay with it weirdly enough.

"I need to see what your body's like, to work out ya style." he explained. "And I've seen ya through ya windows... I'd say you're not exactly attached to clothes."

"Right..." my face went bright red. I was suspicious but Mitchell was the only one who could help me get that date... So I did as he asked. I slipped my long slim fit black t shirt off over my head. Feeling pretty self-conscious by then, I swore the next bit'd kill me. I took a deep breath before I stood up and well, pulled em down, draws and all.

"Wow!" Mitchell flung his head away from me. "Not the whole lot!"

"SHIT!" I pulled my draws back up and blushed.

"Well, I'm sure Connor will enjoy it," Mitchell laughed.

"Shut up..." I laughed, neither of us were really weirded out which was good! So there I was standing in front of Mitchell in just my boxer briefs.

Mitchell's eyes traced over me like a surgeon examining a patient, or an artist going over his canvas... Alright I lie, he was gawking over me like a school girl. "Give me a twirl." he even made a spinning shape with his finger. I complied, to be given an appreciative 'hmmm'

"Well?" I asked with a little annoyance in my voice. Right, I don't mean to blow my own trumpet, but I am in pretty good shape. My muscles are long and toned, not as bulked up as Percy or Connor, neither do I have the same V on my pelvis that they do. But do not fear I have abs! Four gentle bumps, go me! My dark hair had grown out a bit since the Titan war, little bit of a shag to it. The 'rest of it' you'll just have to imagine.

"Well it depends how we wanna go about this," Mitchell smirked.

"I know I'll regret this but... What do you mean?"

"Well you have the hairless body figure for that mesh shirt, but not enough abs for an open shirt." Mitchell began strumming his fingers on my coffee table. "Shorts, definitely!" he nodded adamantly.

"Really?" I looked down at my legs. Kind of pale, making the darker hairs on my legs stand out.

As if by telepathy, Mitchell knew what I was thinking of. "Wax dear Nico!" he proclaimed like he was the Oracle. "Things like that don't really catch the eye."

Anger started to rise up inside me, I was a proud son of Hades. "So what you're saying is I need to change everything about me!" the fire grew inside of me.

"If you wanna get Connor you're gonna need to get his attention," Mitchell tried to be diplomatic, which just annoyed me.

"Ugh!" Without a second thought I was engulfed in the shadow cast on me by my curtains. I vanished.

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><p>Shadow travelling almost completely nude was a new experience, and an odd one. I came out of the shadows in the middle of a familiar cabin.<p>

"Ahh!" a girl's shocked scream rang out followed by the sound on brass bouncing. "Nico what're you doing here!" Rachel Elizabeth Dare's voice rung out.

"Sorry, I just... Uh" right after I started explaining I realized how revealed I was. Luckily Rachel was already rolling up a blanket to throw over me. It was the first time anyone had appeared in her lounge completely unannounced and lacking 9/10ths of their clothes, needless to say she was taking it well.

"You know Apollo has forbid anyone to come into my cabin!" Rachel looked up, as if she was expecting divine punishment as she threw me the blanket.

"I had nowhere else to go." I grabbed the blanket and wrapped it around myself. "Plus Apollo's warning said 'No one may cross your threshold' " I explained. "I never crossed it," I folded my arms and flopped down on one of her bean bags. "I shadow travelled." I let out a mildly immature 'humph'

"Someone's defensive..." Rachel sat down, stepping over her brass tray of grapes.

"Been pretty a day full of stress." I rubbed my face.

"Care to share?" Rachel and I had bonded quick, after all we were both kind of out casts at camp, not really belonging in the status quo. Well believe me I shared it all, Connor and Will in my bed, the stable, the dreams... The lot, even Mitchell's dress up sessions.

"So you came here cause you're too proud of yourself?" she asked.

"Yeaah!"

"Haahah! Yet you're so proud you hide your sexuality?" Rachel had used 'that look'. The look of 'aha got ya'.

"I'm not hiding it!" I protested.

"Yeah, and Chiron is a unicorn." That's when Rachel did it, she roller...her...eyes.

'_Oh damn..._' is all I thought. Along with the gift of prophecy Rachel was Clear Sighted, turns out that extended pretty far into my soul. I slumped back down into her couch and clutched the blanket tight. "It's that obvious?"

"About as obvious as obvious can be." she winked. A) Its good she's fine with it. B) If it's really that obvious, I'm outted then.

I buried my face into her blanket and sighed. "Damn it..."

"Oh grow a pair Nico!" Rachel sighed and tossed a pillow at me. I looked up dumb founded. "You're the King of Ghosts, Son of Hades and Master of Soul Reaper for crying out loud." I could only gawk at Rachel showing visible rage. "Man up," she sighed.

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><p>I thanked her and quickly Shadow Travelled back to my cabin where Mitchell was just about finished packing up his Guy Liners and Fashion Mags.<p>

"Mitchell... I" I looked stupid is what I wanted to say, standing in just black boxer briefs.

"Don't worry," Mitchell was still packing up, which worried me. His voice was quivery, deep with hurt. "I'll be out of your hair in no time!" he started throwing his makeup accessories into his bag as tears began to form. By the gods I felt bad.

"I'm, I'm sorry for over reacting." I stood there, looking stupid in the middle of my cabin, rubbing my arm uncomfortably.

"Its fine." he said with a quiver.

"It's just been a lot to take in... " I began to explain as he stood up and brushed his hair out of his face.

"Ya know what... Don't" a few tears now took residence in the corners of his eyes. Mitchell walked over to me, and pressed his lips against my cheek. "Good luck Nico." I couldn't process is he was being sincere or malicious, but I had no time, he was gone moments later out my door. Part of me urged my brain to give chase, yet the other half compelled me to stay, knowing well true that having this scene all spread over the Cabin area would be no good...

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><p>Next morning was my swordsmanship class with Hermes Cabin. Braking off into smaller groups to spar I quickly made a beeline for Connor who didn't seem too thrilled to see me.<p>

"Hey Connor, I-" he didn't let me finish before he drew his blade and struck out at me. I glanced it off my shield, when I flicked my wrist to the side my trusted blade instantly formed in my hand. Connor struck out again and again. "Hey calm down!"

"Hmph!" the son of Hermes proved his father proud. Unleashing a circle slash he spun around and kicked my shield square in the centre, the force almost knocked off my helmet.

"I wanna talk," I attempted to start a conversation, but he really didn't seem keen.

"I don't!" he replied quickly with another heavy slash.

I carefully parried his blows, knowing if I cut through his blade he'd be less likely to talk. "What's wrong?" I asked as we ended up in a deadlock.

"Mitchell came to me last night!" he broke the dead lock and managed to push me back. "He was pretty upset."

'uh oh...' I let my guard down for a split second and felt the hilt of Connor's sword smacking down on my helmet, sending me backwards to the ground. Abandoning my heavy shield I jumped to my feet.

"No one hurts my friends!" Connor locked his sword with mine, and in a display of excellent sword play and handiwork he managed to get Soul Reaper from my hand. I stood there completely unarmed. Funnily enough it served as a good analogy for how I felt in my situation with Connor's affection, nowhere to go, nothing to use. However I had one trump card in this situation.

"Reaper!" with a single chant my sword returned to my hand. I knocked Connor's next strike aside, his sword clattered to the cobblestone floor. I pointed Reaper to the soft flesh of his neck. "I didn't mean to..." I whispered as I dropped my sword to my side. Without another word from either of us I left the arena, the sparring match was over.

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><p>There were few days left till the party. I would have to avoid causing any more trouble prior to that party. Luckily for me a third of my day was gone, the next third was sword training with the Junior Campers, and the other third was Little Three training with Jason and Percy. Erwin challenged me again like he did every time I ran their combat class. I drew my sword and flipped it in my hand before I aimed it at him.<p>

"No holds barred." he thumped his chest.

"Agreed" moments later we locked swords. I could hear the whispers of the other campers, securing dates, trips out to amass required garments for the party. Camp was in high spirits again.

"Focus!" Erwin caught me by surprise and slashed at my leg. It was only a flesh wound but ran diagonally across my kneecap.

"Argh!" I fell to my knee, my free hand clasping the injured leg. Erwin put his foot on my shoulder and pushed me back onto my back. He stood over me and glared down at me. Unexpectedly he tossed his sword aside and sighed.

What Erwin said next shocked everyone. "I am defeated." The crowd rang out in confusion. "I want to beat a child of the big three... Not the love sucking puppy." He walked off.

"Ugh" I moaned internally as I sat up and rubbed my head. "Crap." I sighed to myself as one of the girls from Apollo cabin came to my side with a spear for me to use as a cane.

"Mr. diAngelo?" she offered me up the spear. "Are you alright?"

"I'll be fine." I took her spear and used to stand up. "Ahem!" I yelled "I want everyone to continue the drills we've been practicing while I go to the first aid tent." I blushed and felt so ashamed at what had happened. _'So much for not causing any more trouble...'_ I sighed as I hobbled along.

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><p>That night I tried to catch Mitchell as he walked from the camp fire to his cabin, sadly his brothers and sisters were forming close ranks. For all the harsh things people say about Aphrodite's children being 'Glamazons' and 'superficial', they stick together like a true family.<p>

"You okay Nico?" Percy walked up beside me as I sulked off towards my cabin. Normally when someone sulks they just look down, me? When I sulk, small flowers around me die, and the air goes stale.

"Meh" was all I could be bothered putting into my reply.

"Right!" Percy pretty much dragged me by the arm back to my cabin and pushed me onto the couch, his arms crossed looking rather fatherly. "Start talking." he ended his sentence with a resounding finality and force I wasn't used to coming from Percy.

"What?" I answered in my usual angry voice.

"You've been acting weird Lately." when he had finished, Percy started strumming his fingers on his upper arm as he waited for a response.

"I have not!" I scoffed.

"Bull."

"Leave me alone." I looked to the side to avoid the gaze of my best friend. Our first fight… if you don't count that year I hated him…

"No." Percy spoke in short sentences, a sign he was vexed.

"Hmph"

"Nico you're acting like a child." more fatherly eyes.

"I am a child!" I stomped my foot in rage. Proving my point. At that moment Percy uncrossed his arms and sighed. What he said next almost tore my heart out.

"You know after facing down an army of Titan's back to back. I thought by now you would trust me enough to be honest with me. But it seems you can't even talk to me." he sighed with tears fighting at the edge of his eyes. I wanted to say something, by all the gods and goddesses on Olympus I wanted to tell him. But I choked on the words each time. Only when he sighed one last time and turned to leave did my mouth, heart and brain declare a truce.

"Wait." at the sound of my voice Percy stopped mid step and turned around. "Can you sit down?" I asked him as my nerves began to build. I would either feel the greatest sense of relief when this was over, or I would die of shame. Percy sat to my left in one of my chairs. As I opened my mouth to confess my love for Connor Stoll I choked on my own words again. Percy looked at me waiting for me to finish my explanation. The look on his face tore me up.

"I hurt Mitchell..." I looked to my right where Mitchell had sat with his guy liners only a few days before. "He was helping me with something and I snapped at him... It really cut him up you see..."

"Have you apologised?" he asked, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"I tried..." I still couldn't meet Percy's gaze.

"What happened?"

"His brothers and Sister's formed closed ranks. I couldn't even get within arm's reach of him.

"Want me to talk to him?" Percy always did like a diplomatic route.

"I've got it!" I snapped. I hadn't snapped at Percy like that since the war.

"You look like you have the whole situation well under control." Percy rolled his eyes, a not overly usual thing for the cool calm and collected Perseus Jackson to do. Percy stood up and gave me a subtle wave, "I've got to meet Jason, helping him with his Powers." Percy sighed and shook his head lightly. "I hope you get whatever's wrong with you sorted before the party. Catch ya later." I watched in silence as he left my cabin.

'Nice move Nico...' I mentally kicked myself over and over for being so retarded. I rubbed my face and sighed. This was not going according to plan... Not at all. "I need some advice..."

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><p>As I walked into the medical tent I was made aware of something that truly sucked... Will Solace was in charge that day. Oh damn. Will treated me well (in both respects) I was sent back to my cabin not long after.<p>

"Ugh" I entered with a slight limp that Will said would go away any minute. I flopped down on my couch.

I noticed a parcel about a foot long on my coffee table. Summoning Soul Reaper I quickly undid the parcel and opened it up. Inside were a series of male fashion magazines and a vial shaped like a skull full of liquid. Everything smelt of the underworld... A box from home! I found the note attached to the vial. "When you need power, look no further Underworld power tonic. Made with .001% real water from the river Styx. Guaranteed to put you in fighting form and give you all the boost you need." I took a swig. The pain in my knee seemed to fade instantly. A sense of clarity began to rush over me, summed up in 2 words. Be proactive. Under the influence of the Stygian Tonic, I hatched a plan that was diabolically dastardly. If I followed my plan I'd not just be able to make it up to Mitchell, but get Connors' attention and 'own my sexuality' without betraying myself… Oh and I say 'under the influence' because I don't trust myself that this won't go DISASTEROUSLY wrong, so I like a scape goat.

Under the cover of darkness I snuck out of my cabin and went about collecting supplies for my dastardly plan. A list of things I liberated/appropriated/stole included: A male fitting mannequin from the arts and crafts area, a large number of pins and bobby pins, a pair of scissors and a sketchbook with pencil. My next course of action should not stun you, it shouldn't even mildly surprise you, I went to the forest to summon, 2 ghosts this time… So yes maybe a little bit of shock.

"Bianca diAngelo." Bianca's spectre appeared after she was called.

"Nico?" Bianca seemed to pick up on my emotions instantly.

"Things aren't going according to plan..." I sighed.

"Oh?" she asked.

"I've fudged it up pretty well."

"Are you going to tell me?" she began to get impatient, something I had never known Bianca to be. Then and there I relayed it all, Mitchell, Connor the whole lot. "Yeaah you did fudge it up, and rather well I might add."

"Not helping."

"Sorry."

"So what do I do?"

"Well apologising right now would be fruitless. Both of them are probably really mad at you. Like peeved off beyond measure. Ready to ri-"

"Okay I get the point!" I cut off Bianca's tangent.

"Sorry, got carried away." with guilty pleasure in her voice she laughed. "More food?" she asked as she noticed the crackers, dip and sparkling grape juice next to me in a plastic shopping bag.

"Yeah. If you didn't have any advice I thought I'd seek another's council." I looked over to the other hole I had dug. I loaded up the whole with all the stuff I needed to summon and began my chant.

"Who're you summoning?" Bianca floated over looking at the hole quizzically.

"You'll see."

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><p>Hope ya enjoyed that, its a long chapter I know (Longest yet I think?)<br>Well things are gonna start going down whole sale here.  
>Also I've had 1 or 2 IMPM's about spelling, in regards to things like armour/armor. I spell it with the u in it cause I'm from New Zealand, and we spell it like that. But I'll stick to mom (US) instead of mum (NZ) because they sound totally different.

Also would just like to thank 'Lalala' for her review. And gotta say I agree the other cabin's really don't get enough love! So I popped ya in a little more Will Solace for thrills and giggles!

See you again soon!


	7. Hey, who ever said I was smart?

Thanks again to lalala for the review. Taking ya idea on board, I think its got a lot of merit, certainly gonna put PARTS of it in haha.

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><p><strong>~Chapter 7~<strong>  
><em>"Hey, who ever said I was smart?"<em>

The spectre I had summoned alongside Bianca began to fizz to life. Her older figure sprouted from the grounds and took form.

"Nico diAngelo?" she asked as her eyes fell upon me.

"Yes." I replied firmly, but respectfully. "Ms. Chanel." I made an expression like one tipping his hat.

"Coco Chanel? You summoned Coco Chanel?" Bianca's astonishment was warranted, it's not everyday someone summons the spirit of a long dead fashion icon.

"Tim Gunn isn't dead yet." and thus my reasoning for Coco.

"Right..." Bianca was unsure of my decision to say the least.

"I assume there is a reason I am here?" Coco asked, she seemed to be digging her gaze into my eyes to try and find a truth, what truth it was I could not say.

"Departed daughter of Athene I request your aid." I bowed on one knee. "I require your skills mistress of loom and lace."

"Flattery huh." Coco didn't seem too happy with my performance.

"I request your aid. My cloths be not adequate for the gala I must attend." I laid on the formal language in an attempt to win her over... It started to work.

"A son of Hades requests help from me? What Gala?" she uncrossed her arms and looked over at me from above her glasses.

"It is a celebration of such wonder. You see one year ago our kind defeated the Titan Lord Kronos in the second Titan war. A celebration is planned to mark that day. I wish to dress the part as is fitting befitting one of the heroes in that war." I raised myself up to my feet and gave her a solid look.

"A child of Hades,..." Coco looked as if she was thinking it all over. "I do believe this would be a first." she took off her sun glasses as she finished. She tucked them away in the V neck of her dress. "Very well child of Hades. I shall instruct you on this garment." I thanked Coco and we got to work. Rather a weird thing I have to say working with a ghost, they yell at you, try to throw things from their handbags but they pass straight through you. I wonder if anyone would believe Coco's temper…I flopped down in my cabin at about 3am, I hid my new clothes within the deepest part of my closet. I SERIOUSLY had to avoid making trouble… if it was possible. 4 drachma later in a prayer to Tyche I was satisfied with the 'luck' aspect of tomorrow… only 2 more days till the party.

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><p>The next day camp's transformation began. Hephaestus's children began assembling stages and lighting rigs, the children of Athena planned out logistics and so forth. It was insane. I found a familiar figure about the pavilion as Jake Mason and his brothers set about building the main stage.<p>

"Melinoe" I waved to the young girl. Melinoe was my divine half-sister along with Makaria, she often appeared in the body of a 24 year old in a grey work shirt, black jeans and a black linen trench coat jacket, something Thalia Grace would wear.

"Bro!" Melinoe turned around and patted me on the shoulder as I approached.

"Aahrgh. HI" I smiled as he patted my back.

"So little bro," Melinoe smirked. "This' gonna be quite the party!"

"Ye-yeah." I nodded, I hadn't seen Melinoe much in the underworld but I usually bumped into her on my excursions out in the mortal world.

"Nico, I'm gonna level with ya." Melinoe wrapped her arm around my shoulder as we walked towards the forest.

"Oh?"

"Dad know's" The largest lump formed in my throat. It felt like it would rip my neck open if I swallowed it. I stopped in my tracks. "Don't worry little bro," I got a sucker punch on the arm. I still couldn't say anything. "He's cool with it, talked my ear off about changing values etc etc." We reached the line of the forest far away from the camp. "He told me to tell you something." Melinoe pulled a trick I hate, her ability to sound just like father... "You are creating a mountain out of nothing. It is normal for our children. I have prepared a gift for this gathering of son and daughters of Olympus" his voice returned to normal.

I was dumbstruck, and relieved. Somehow I managed to get words out... Not overly sensible ones though. "Gift?"

"Yeah I'm not allowed to tell you." Melinoe smirked.

"Does it have anything to do with the other Demigods coming back to camp?" I asked. Chiron had extended the invitation of the party to many past campers, some were pretty famous such as James May, son of Hephaestus, a famous BRITISH Demigod as we were told.

"I can't say," Melinoe somehow managed to smirk even wider.

"Ugh!" I sighed and shook my head as Melinoe looked over her shoulder as if someone was calling her name.

"Ok little bro, I gotta go!" Melinoe jumped around and ran away, disappearing into one of the shadows of a big bulky Hephaestus camper, it scared the poor boy half to death. The details surrounding this party were starting to thicken, thickening like Marinara sauce on fresh pasta in mama's oven... Shut up, it's the Italian in me alright?

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><p>I excused myself from the next head councillor's meeting, making Percy take notes in my place. I was getting in some sword practice when he came over to fill me in.<p>

"Annabeth thinks we should ask someone who has experience with party planning. Lou Ellen suggested the man who planned Woodstock." Percy rambled on, I didn't really pay attention to any of it. And he obviously knew. "That's when a flaming badger came in and mauled Will's face off, Clarisse tried to kill it but ended up letting in a horde of electric guinea pigs that killed us all." I dropped Soul Reaper to my side and looked at him with a sarcastic _'haha'_ expression. "I guess you had to be there." he smirked. I just looked at him with a dry gaze. "Seriously man, what's wrong with you?" he asked.

I sighed and knew I couldn't bottle it up anymore. "Ok Percy I'll tell yaa." I turned to go back inside my cabin. As I moved Soul Reaper turned back into black mist and refilled my skull ring's eyes. We both flopped down on the chairs at either end of my coffee table. Percy in his orange shirt, denim shorts and flip flops. I wore a black singlet and 3/4 grey denim shorts with slip on black vans. The tension could be cut with a knife, a blunt, rusted, warn down, stubby knife... But a knife none the less. "I know I've been acting really weird lately." I confessed, starting the conversation slowly. "Its cause I've been internalising a very complex dilemma." I touched the tips of my fingers together to look more intelligent. Sadly my garb let me down...

"Oh?" he asked, raising an eyebrow pretty high up inquisitively.

"Yeah I uh..." I started to stall, this was not going well.

"Hmm?"

"Ugh" I sighed and bit my tongue. Now or never. "I've got a crush."

"Really?" Percy blinked, in disbelief. "Who?"

"Yeaah... On um uh..." I bit my lip again... And decided I really did need to grow a pair. I managed to get the next thing I said out in record time. "ItsConnorStoll"

"Really?" Percy cocked his eye brow up even more, but not in the inquisitive way he had been before. But more the type you do when someone shows you something weird. "Captain Kelpto?"

"Yes." I replied firmly.

"When did this all start?"

"About a week or two ago. I dunno why, but yeah." I shrugged.

"So you're... ... Right?" Percy expected me to fill in the gap.

"Am I what?"

"Gay" he replied in a hushed voice.

"You say it like it's a bad thing." I furrowed my brow.

"Oh I didn't mean it like that!" He shook his hands in a defensive motion.

"What do you mean then?" I asked, squinting my eyes inquisitively at him.

"Well I asked um... Someone if they were gay and they got pretty mad. 'This person' blew up a table and yelled that he was bi-sexual" Percy recited the events faithfully, even re-enacting the exploding table... Though he gave far too much away when he did... But this was about me not Camp Halfblood's #1 table hater so I won't go into it.

"I see." I looked at Percy with sceptical eyes.

"So you've been in a foul mood all week 'cause you have a crush on Connor?" he asked.

"There is more to it than that..." I sighed. So I explained everything again... Including a bit about not being too sure about how Percy would react.

"Sexuality doesn't bother me." he shrugged. "Like Jason said, its kinda in our blood." Percy rubbed his nose and laughed.

"I suppose." I rolled my eyes, Percy always was an eternal optimist and it made a very refreshing change to my bleak outlook on life.

"So you've got it sorted then?" Percy asked encouragingly. Oh thank my father he's fine with it.

"Not exactly. Mitchell was helping me with everything but I kind of snapped at him. Now Connor's taking it personally, he won't even let me talk to him."

"Hmm, I know what to do." Percy stood up and walked into my room. A minute later he brought back my armour stand. "Put this on." he ordered as he put it down on the side of the room.

"Why?" I stood up and walked over to it, rubbing a smudge off the breast plate.

"You're gonna challenge Connor Stoll to a duel."

"You're serious?" I was taken aback by Percy's plan.

"If he wins, you'll leave them alone. If you win, he has to listen to you." ridiculous... Totally bloody ridiculous!

"Sounds like a plan." I slipped the armour on. Hey, who ever said I was smart?

* * *

><p>Usually it wasn't unnatural to see Demigods walking around camp in armour, except for this week. Usual camp fatigues of orange shirts and battle boots were traded in for fancy shirts and glam bags. So Percy and I got a few odd looks as we marched over to the Hermes cabin, finding Stoll atop the roof looking smug.<p>

"Stoll!" I barked with my loudest voice.

"Hmm?" He looked down at me both metaphorically and literally.

"Bad blood is between us!" Soul Reaper began to form in my hand. "You refuse my sues for peace. So I challenge you to a duel."

Stoll leaned forward looking even more smug. "Oh really? If you win?"

"You must hear me out. Allow me to clear my name."

"And if I win?"

"I'll leave you in peace."

"Sweet." Stoll jumped off the roof, landing in front of me. "One little hickup... I'm Travis." he smirked. If smirks could kill, Travis' would make Zeus' Master Bolt look like a tooth pick.

"Oh..." I blushed as laughter rang out. The noise was short lived as Connor emerged from the cabin in normal attire.

"It's not me you need to talk to Nico." Connor shook his head and pointed over my shoulder, to Aphrodite cabin.

"It's me!" I turned on my heel to see Mitchell marching out of his cabin, literally marching out, clad top to toe in armour. Mitchell's armour was not what most'd expect from the 'Camp flower', there were no bright colours or fluffy bits. Just perfectly polished armour... With a tiny Spice Girls logo on the left sides' bindings. "A gift from Ares to the children of Aphrodite." Mitchell tapped a medallion in the centre of his breast. His voice seemed ominous and deeper. Strapped to his back was a Phalanx spear and 3 throwing javelin's were tucked in his shield.

"Oh no..." Percy's face whitened. "I forgot..."

"Forgot what?" I asked... Nervously.

"When you were in the underworld with your father Ares bestowed upon Aphrodite Cabin a special medallion. It carries his boon as acknowledgement for Selena Beauregard 's bravery and once you place it on a set of armour it becomes blessed by Ares." once Percy had finished I slapped my face in frustration.

"His boon? You don't think that you should have told me about that?" I jumped a little in my rage.

"I thought you would be fighting Connor!" Percy rebutted.

"Are we going to do this?" Mitchell asked drawing his sword from his scabbard.

"Yes!" I turned to him, despite Percy's objection. "You have the boon of Ares. So I shall be able to call upon the powers bestowed upon me by my own father!" Soul Reaper materialized in my hand.

"Agreed" I could see Ares' spirit in Mitchell's eyes as we walked over to the sparring arena.

"Okay you need to know about the boon" Percy whispered in my ear. "It makes him fearless in battle, and gives him adept skills with weapons."

"Is that all?" I asked, mildly worried that after all my ponce, I'd loose this duel and look like the camp nitwit...

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><p>Hope you guys are still enjoying this!<p>

Read and Review please!


	8. Its alright, I'm gay

Sorry for the long gap between updates, Christmas is hectic... enough said I think (And I've been working on a flaffly Christmas story...)  
>Anyway more story for you guys! Hope you enjoy!<p>

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><p><strong>~Chapter 8~<strong>  
><em>"Its alright, I'm gay."<em>

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><p>Mitchell and I stood 12 paces apart without weapons drawn, he looked like a tank with his spears and knives. A lambda symbol engraved on the shield was covered by a fleur de lis.<p>

"Ready?" Percy raised his arm. "Begin!" he yelled.

Mitchell was fast off the mark. Stabbing his sword in the ground he threw his 3 javelin's at me. The first 2 bounced off my shield harmlessly, as the second came towards me I summoned up a wall of shadows that engulfed the javelin.

"My turn!" I called out as I charged through the shadow wall I had summoned. The wall turned into straggly shadowy wisps that seemed to stick to me as I jumped through. Mitchell and I quickly locked swords, Aphrodite's son dodged and ducked through my repeated strikes. I managed to evade my own share of blows as well. My vein's tingled with the power of my father cruising through them, begging to be released.

"RIGHT!" Mitchell jumped back, sheathed his sword and drew out his long spear.

_'I need to get in close if he's gonna use that.'_ strategic thoughts raced through my head as I evaded jabs. I willed the shadows to rise up and grab the spear but I soon realized Mitchell had forced me into direct sunlight. "Damn."

"Can't summon your shadows anymore!" Mitchell barked as he struck out at me furiously. Even though Ares' boon was playing a part in his ability, I couldn't help but think Mitchell could have been the son of Ares and Aphrodite. That split moment of distraction almost made me a Nico-shishkebab as Mitchell stabbed at me.

Without a thought I raised my shield flat, glancing the blow off my shiny shield. I brought my sword down on the shaft of the spear to crack it in two. An even contest again. "Don't get to cocky just because you've got Ares' boon." we gently parried our swords aside. Aphrodite's son giggled a little as we circled one another. "Is this all you got? Daughter of Hades!"

"You're not gonna trick me into doing anything." I retorted and set myself up for a strike. We had amassed quite the crowd, not what I wanted, public shaming was not my objective.

The sun beamed in my eyes, I raised my shield slightly to cover my face, and then I had a brainstorm. I bided my time until we had circled around and the sun was at my back. I raised my sword and slashed down at Mitchell, he blocked with his shield above his head. I had only a split second to act, I concentrated on the shadow cast over his whole body by the shield. The shadow's thickened due to my Umbrakenesis, allowing me to knock the sword from his right hand and pull the shield off his left... The duel was mine... Now for the hard bit.

Mitchell and I talked for a while in my cabin. I explained it all, which believe me was getting OLD. Mitchell seemed to understand, which took a load off me, and since the water had past under our bridge, Connor forgave me too. Luckily he was still oblivious to my homolust towards him. I gotta say there was still tension on everyone's parts considering we had just resolved a pretty big spat.

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><p>Even with my miracle duel, camp was still gearing towards the party like nothing had happened which suited me fine, just blending into the back ground. One thing on my mind was the lack of Percy and Annabeth being TOGETHER... They always seemed apart nowadays, one was always leaving just as the other arrived. The more I thought about the PercyAnnabeth problem the more confused I got... And I went to ask one of the people Percy sees the most, Jason. The entrance to Cabin one was rather daunting, I'd never been inside the cabin. Hairs on the back of my neck stood on end as I pushed the large door open. "H-hello?" it was then that I realized how other people felt entering a haunted house, as the son of Hades I never got scared of those places. I guess you could say Zeus was my boogey man.

"Oh hey Nico," Jason walked in from one of the side rooms. Zeus's son was carrying a bottle of metal polish, he wore 3/4 denim pants and a red singlet with a lightning bolt on it, 'The Flash' logo. Jason walked over to his golden armour placed out along the floor on News Papers

I must have looked a right sight, glancing around the room in awe. "Nice place," I whispered, barely able to be heard. The crackling of burning wood almost echoed around the cabin, the torches cast an intimidating light on Zeus' face... At least that's what I'd been told by Percy... Now the torches were out, Zeus' statue had been relocated to the courtyard.

"It not bad, I've seen Percy's cabin. Now that's a nice place, if you don't mind sand in your socks," Jason chuckled as he placed the polish down by his electric gold armour.

"Or the mess." I laughed. "Are you busy?" I noticed the polish. "I can come back later?"

"Oh that, just polishing up my armour, with all the hype about the party I thought it'd be nice to do something... Simple." after he finished speaking, Jason offered me a spot on the floor and sat down to keep polishing. "So what can I do ya for Nico?"

I sat down next to him and picked up a torn bit of cloth and began polishing Jason's greaves. "I was just wondering if Percy'd said anything to you about Annabeth." Jason didn't seem too happy with my choice of conversation topics. His brow furrowed.

"Ugh." ok I understated it, he looked like he loathed the subject. "I don't know what's up with those two, one day Percy says this, then he says that." Jason made odd hand gestures to back up his point, putting his hands to the left of him, then the right.

"I see... By the way Jason... Don't you have a table for this?" I looked around his room, trying to find one. I did however find a small scorch mark under the newspaper.

"Yeah I did... It um... Had a little accident. Hehe" Jason was a year older than me, and a year younger than Percy, but often let his childish side come out.

"Accident?" I cocked an eyebrow Mr. Spock style.

Jason said nothing, he just raised his hand up and whipped it at a flower pot he'd made in Arts and Crafts a few days back. At the apex of his whip, Jason discharged a blast from his hand, pure lightning. I don't think I need to tell you what happened to the vase... Cccchhhaappppsshhhhh! "That." he smirked.

"I...uh..." I looked at all the broken bits of pottery.

"Gonna be a pain to clean up..." He sighed heavy heartedly. Even children of the Big Three are still teens, we HATE cleaning.

"Allow me." the shadows cast by the tiles that made up Jason's floor began to expand and consume the pottery shards and then receded to the cracks.

"That's handy" Jason blinked in mild disbelief.

"Your lightning bolts destroy, my shadows clean up and Percy's water nurtures." I laughed being very philosophical... And quoting Chiron. But Jason twitched at Percy's name, which perked my curiosity.

"Can you keep a secret?" Jason's mood switched to on a lot more sombre one.

"Yeah." I nodded. "Of course." another nod. _'Easy Nico, don't sound too keen.'_

"I don't think Percy and Annabeth are gonna last."

"Why not? They're like camps golden couple, a sure fire winner for King and Queen of Camp." I rattled off.

"Yeah..." Jason looked sideways uncomfortably.

"*sigh*" I placed Jason's greaves down carefully and looked at him. "Go on."

"What?" Jason gave me a look, like I had lost my mind.

"You want to tell me something, I can see it all over your face." I rolled my eyes and leaned back on my hands.

"Wh-bu-huh?"

_'Real intelligent...'_ I rolled my eyes internally as Jason obviously was fighting with his inner demons.

"Promise not to tell anyo- not to tell a soul?" he corrected himself. Dang, the first agreement I wouldn't be able to get out of on a technicality haha... Oh well.

"I promise."

"Promise not to hate me either?" Jason continued to fuel the fire of my speculation as to the source of his uncertainty.

"Um,... What?"

"You have to promise Nico, I know it's your fatal flaw." Everyone has to keep bringing up my grudge keeping... shesh.

"Alright I swear. Now are you going to tell me?" I half laughed, I had enjoyed this mind game greatly.

"Right..." Jason took a deep breath. "It's about why Percy and Annabeth won't be together long..." this was the most beating around a bush I had seen since I told Percy of my Connor Stoll crush... Which actually wasn't that long ago... Anyway moving on. "I dunno if I should be telling you this but..."

"Let me guess, you're bisexual." I announced, cutting the tension.

"How'd you know!" Jason's eyes opened in surprise.

"Percy accidently let on... Mentioned someone blowing up a table..." I lifted the corner of the newspaper up exposing the burn.

"Oh, damn." Jason blushed.

"It's alright. I'm gay." I patted him on the shoulder. It suddenly struck me that this was the first time I'd used the 'G' word to describe myself. It was rather liberating... Don't worry I'll save the rest of that topic for Oprah!

"Percy thinks he might be too." Jason looked down and finally conveyed his reasons why Percy and Annabeth wouldn't last.

"He thinks he's bi?" I asked being rather polite.

"He thinks he might be gay... Says that neither Annabeth nor Rachel do it for him anymore." Jason shook his head.

"One more for our team then I guess." I chuckled. It was all I could think of to do really, distressing the situation. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed Jason slouching over, obviously not to happy. "Um, you okay?" I asked.

"Mm" it was hard to hear if he was saying yes or no.

_'Gods I wish I was a telepath...'_ I sighed internally and then shook Jason's shoulder gently. "Come on man, what's eating ya?"

"I uh, think I uh... Like Percy" Jason twiddled his thumbs.

"Oh, I uh see." I scratched my head... Nervously. "Does he know?"

"He knows I'm bi-sexual." Jason looked up and leaned back, resting on his hands. "At the moment though he thinks it's just physical."

"Your feelings right?" I asked, glancing at him nervously. All the bits of this Camp Halfblood Homo Puzzle were starting to fall into place.

"Not my feelings. Just what we do."

"And um, what exactly do you do?" I asked, the moment I asked I knew I'd regret it.

"We have the occasional bit of... Release." Jason chuckled. Oh good, his mood was improving... A shame my mental purity was about to dive bomb back into the darkest bits of Tartarus.

"Oh... I see." I swallowed heavily and tried to process it.

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><p>I spent most of the rest of the day up in one of the older pine trees at camp. Its amazing the places you can go if you can shadow travel at the right time. From my perch I could look out over the camp, the dragon up by the fleece, Hephaestus' cabin working on the sound stage, and Percy cleaning out the stables as it was 'his turn'. I had another sip of cola and let my left leg dangle over the edge. Ah, bliss.<p>

"Nico?" a voice whispered in my ear.

"Aaaarghaa!" I almost fell out of my tree, but Juniper grabbed my shoulder to steady me.

"Calm down." she giggled.

"Sorry, just I didn't expect to be bothered up here." I chuckled awkwardly.

"..."

"..."

"..."

"Not that you're a bother or anything." I smiled at her and offered her a can of coke.

"No thanks," Juniper raised her hands in protest. "They do hazards to my root system, you should know that." Juniper had been cranky ever since Grover left on his quest to spread the word of Pan. I guess love lives and camp halfblood aren't meant to co-exist.

"Sorry is there something I can do for you?" I asked her, rather rudely to be honest.

"Yes!" her eyes lit up with purpose. "Tell your friends to stop sneaking into my grove for their... 'antics'."

"Oh god..." I put my soda down and covered my eyes with my hands. "By all the gods on Olympus." 'Just ONCE I'd like a moment free of demigod sex angst!' I screamed in my mind.

"Nico...?" Juniper seemed visibly worried when I removed my hands, I noticed the Shadows up in the trees were forming... People performing... 'acts'.

_'Great. I'm astral projecting my thoughts into the umbra... Great.'_ I sighed and dismissed the shadows. "Sorry Juniper, I've just got something to take care of." before she could finish I vanished into the shadows. Destination: Dad.

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><p>Well the game is certainly afoot now! Only a couple (or a few) more chapters to go. Hope you enjoyed the story so far.<p> 


	9. That'll put hair on ya chest

Chapter Nine! After almost a week long wait! (Well it was Christmas so who can blame me!)

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><p><strong>~Chapter 9~<strong>  
><em>"That'll put hair on ya chest!" <em>

My father could be moody, very moody. But never had he ever blocked me from the Underworld. But that's what he did. When attempting to Shadow Travel to the great hall of Hades, I was 'redirected' after a very dizzying light show.

"Faaaaa!" I was flung out of the shadows and across a dark room.

*Crack!* I was flung into a wooden shelf set of some kind, and it HURT.

"Aaaaaahhh!" Screams followed the loud cracking noise.

"What in Hades Nico!" a voice cried out.

'Will Solace?' I thought as I slowly made it to my feet, shaking off the dust and debris.

"Hello, Nico?" the speaker was indeed Will Solace, he shook me gently as I came back to my senses.

"Wow!" I gave my head a sharp shake and regained as many of my faculties as I could. "Oh?... Will." I blinked and looked at Will, clad in his denim shorts, and battle gear. "Nice outfit." I scanned around me, I was obviously in Apollo Cabin, the guitars, Lyres and other 'Apollo Related Paraphernalia' were dotted about the walls.

"Hi, thanks, but is there any reason you decided to Shadow Travel into our Lyre Rack?" He asked, actually annoyed.

"Oh..." I looked behind me at the damaged Lyres. "I think I took a wrong turn at the River Lethe..." rubbing my shoulder I tried figure out what happened.

"Well glad to see you're safe." I was patted on the shoulder again.

"Safe?" I asked rather confused.

"You don't remember?" Will sat his bow down next to him on a bed and looked at me with genuine concern. "Nico you've been missin for a whole day." from Will's look I knew without question he was being truthful.

"A whole... day?" I slowly stepped back, I bumped into one of the other beds, falling back to sit on it.

"You alright?" Will stepped forward and placed his hand on my shoulder sympathetically.

"Yeah I FEEL fine..." my eyes couldn't help but glance at the lyre rack. I placed my hand on my chest to feel the warmth of my heart, something was under my shirt that should not have been there. "Huh?" I pulled out the long chained pendant hung around my neck. A skull with a pair of wings coming from its head.

"Nice pendant." Will blinked.

"It's not mine... At least I don't think it is." I ran my finger down the skull, it felt cold, a lot colder than something that's been against my body should be.

"Either way you should tell Chiron your safe, he was about to cancel the party." I nodded in agreement, deja vu was running through my mind as I examined the skull. "While you're around the Big House maybe you should ask Annabeth about the pendant." Will added. Instantly my mind flooded with flashbacks of what Jason said.

"Yeah." I said half-heartedly and stood up. "I'll go do it now... Sorry about the rack." Will told me not to bother about it, sneaking in a comment that it'd give him a chance to spend more time with those 'burly Hephaestus hunks.'

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><p>Chiron was pleased to see me safe and sound, he made a large bellowing announcement that the party would continue as planned. Chiron always made me feel weird and strange so I decided better the weird you know, and headed off for Athena's cabin. Athena's cabin was jammed pack full of technical drawings, chalk boards with half-finished equations on them and miniature mock battle sets. No doubt about it, these kids were smart with a capital V… S… I hate being dislexic.<p>

I found Annabeth at the rear of the cabin in the head councillor's 'office', she was towering over a strategic map of the camp, laid out on the map were all the features of camp. "Logistics" Annabeth said without turning around. "I'm going over last minute things to do with the party." she explained. Annabeth had evolved past people needing to ask for an explanation, she offered them up like a waiter offers a patron free water at a restaurant.

"I see..." I walked around her battle map table and sat down on one of her stools, hinting I was there for something.

"Oh did you want something?" she asked.

"Yeah Chiron said you might be able to help me with something." I took off my necklace and laid it down on the map.

"What's this?" Annabeth picked it up and examined the skull.

"Well I was hoping you could tell me."

"Where did you get it?" Athena's favourite daughter ran her fingers over the skull to try and literally get a feel for it.

"I went to shadow travel to Hades, next thing I knew I was flying into Will Solace's Lyre rack and giving him the freight of his life." I picked up a set of dividers and began making them 'walk' across the map.

"Well its Obsidian." the pendant seemed to shimmer as Annabeth held it. "The skull's your father's symbol. The winged helmet... Is the symbol of Hermes?" Annabeth began to walk around the table slowly, a sign she was deep in thought.

"And that means?" I asked, now juggling the dividers, tempting a few nasty pricks with its sharp tips.

"Well the wings aren't Celestial Bronze. More like..." she stopped and held it up to the light. "Platinum?"

"And that means?" I asked now nursing a pricked finger.

"Platinum is an expensive metal..." Annabeth continued pacing.

"My father's realm includes metals." I perked up trying to be helpful.

"Expensive materials are often associated with Hermes, he is the god of merchants." Annabeth was in heaven, unravelling a mystery.

"Why would Hades and Hermes' symbols be merged? Might have something to do with your going missing?" she stopped and looked at me.

My mind was clicking like a little hamster on its wheel. Hades and Hermes merging their symbols, was it related to Connor and I?

I wasn't sure how long I was pondering things to myself, but when I finally snapped out of my daze I found Annabeth reading out of her 'Oxford Classical Mythology 7th Edition'.

"Annabeth?" I turned and cocked an eyebrow.

"It says here that there it was not completely unheard of for Gods to bestow their blessings and boons on people in the form of a magical item."

"We knew that already," I sighed as I caste my gaze on her yankees cap.

"Gods could create items together that could act as conduits for their powers." she explained, once again without request.

"So...?" I asked.

"Well it seems from this definition that Hades and Hermes are giving you a message." Annabeth handed me her book and then tapped a paragraph.

I read it aloud, which was kind of hard... Dyslexia skucs... "The Olympians would often send their ch-champions divine gifts that may have seemed confusing at first but often had a secret purpose?" I looked up at Annabeth and cocked another eyebrow.

Annabeth sighed and rolled her eyes. "Meaning Hades and Hermes are hiding their intentions, for now." she handed me back my pendant.

"Well a heads up would be nice." I sighed, gazing at the skull.

"They'll let you know when it's time... As for times, shouldn't you be getting ready for the party?" with her words I glanced out the window and noticed the setting sun. Time to race!

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><p>I walked around my cabin waiting for the party to start. Some would say I pranced around my room, being shirtless does give that impression I'll admit. The Coco-diAngelo project was hanging off its hanger, waiting to be put on and ready to wow people. Hades' tonic gift rested on the coffee table. <em>'Did I put that there?'<em> I pondered as I reached down for it; a jet black note was attached now.

"Drink this, you'll need it." the note was scratched in my father's hand writing without a doubt. Being a loyal and respectful son I took a gulp, it tasted like tar, ash and aniseed. The pendant seemed to shimmer as I drank, definitely connected.

"That was fou-" before I could finish my body felt like the world had been thrust on top of it, knocking the wind straight out of me. With a loud echoing thud I hit the floor. I lay on my back panting and sweating like I had never before, cold and hot flashes as well. On top of it all, I had a vision.

I was standing in the middle of my father's renovated palace, black basalt columns lined the dark purple carpet that ran the length of the room, going up 3 steps to Hades' throne. Platinum and other expensive metals dawned the reliefs all over the friezes. I looked around on shock and awe of its majesty.

"Son!" the loud bellow of my father's voice shook me to my senses. He sat cross legged atop his throne of bones, the bones of all the world's greatest leaders.

Without hesitation I fell on one knee. "Your majesty Hades, lord of the Underworld. What can I, ever so humble, do for you?"

"Arise my son." father's voice was not as... Well abusive as usual. Not that my father abused me or anything, just that well, he wished I were my sister... Who was standing next to me?

"Bi?" I saw her out of the corner of my eye as I arose.

"I wish to use you my son." Hades' legs uncrossed.

'No surpise there.' I sighed to myself. "How can I be of service my lord?" I asked with a slight bow.

"This party that will take place at Camp Half Blood... I wish to... Give a gift." Hades smirked

Thankfully Bianca took over. "What father means to say is," she stood between us after offering father a small bow. "that to commemorate the victory over Kronos he has a gift to camp for our troubles in the war. A gift that only a chosen child of Hades can deliver." Bianca's eyes seemed to glow, only moments later did I realise it was actually Hermes arriving behind her.

"A gift only a chosen child of Hades could deliver... With the blessing of Hermes, god of travellers." Hermes clicked his fingers and a light glowed around my neck, Hades swished his hand and a dark light appeared in the centre of the light, the pendant formed seconds later. Soon the room was enveloped in light and I awoke on my floor.

"That'll put hair on ya chest." I looked at the vial of Hades Tonic in my hand. Seconds later it seemed to melt into shadowy mist. The conch sounded... The party was about to start. I quickly jumped up, wiped myself with a towel, applied some 'Calvin Klein' Sally Jackson had gotten me. Now it was time to unveil my secret weapon... I slipped on my get black smart shirt with very feint purple pattern. On top of the shirt I put on my tailored trench coat, a one off design by Coco Chanel. It was tapered, trimmed and styled in all the right places.

After a small prayer at my father's shrine I stood at my front door, nerves building. The sounds of campers walking past my cabin signalled the gathering had started, I could hear Percy and Jason approaching.

"Well here goes nothing!" I pushed open my door and walked out into the fray.

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><p>Not many notes from me this time! Just gotta say the stories wrapping up soon so yeah! Might have a sequel coming along, certainly laid good threads for one I think! All spelling mistakes in speech or in Nico's 'rants' are intentional.<br>Thanks gals and guys!


	10. Then do something about it!

Here's another short chapter. Didn't want to pad it out with to much stuff. Which I think I may have ended up doing anyway. Smooth!  
>Well I hope you enjoy it! A possible sequel is in the works as well.<p>

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><p><strong>~Chapter 10~<strong>  
><em>"Well go do something about it!"<em>

The doors to my cabin swung open with commanding force. Standing on my bottom step and lucky they weren't bowled over was Percy and Jason."Wow." "Nice!" Jason and Percy were lost for words at my looks. Mind you I was almost lost for words at theirs. Percy wore his 'good' denim shorts that were really just slightly darker and less worn versions of his usual ones, some coral beads, flip flops and an open blue casual Hawaiian shirt (believe me it was a stylish one, I didn't even think those existed!) Jason had one of those purple smart casual business shirt, jeans and sneakers on (obviously not so fashion savvy with tattered sneakers).

"So guys, shall we go?" I asked pointing yonder where Chiron was standing on the stage with 'James May'.

We made good time walking across camp, on the way we saw many of our other friends making their was to the stage, Jake Mason wore a boiler suit (overalls) with a flashy shirt underneath, Malcolm wore skinny jeans and a slightly over sized jumper, complete with beret.

"Seems like everyone is subtly paying tribute to their parents." Jason gave a little chuckle and pointed to Lou Ellen's magician like robes.

"Everyone except you..." I looked at Jason with a laughable gaze.

"Aha, I went for something a bit more covert." Jason lifted up his arm to show both Percy and I a pair of lightning bolt cufflinks. "The symbol of Jupiter." he grinned as we reached the main stage.

"How could we forget." Percy chuckled and rolled his eyes in jest.

"Grr." Jason eyed Percy... Lustfully? I wasn't too sure. But it didn't matter, Chiron looked like he was about to say something.

"Shh guys Chiron's gonna say something." I shushed the two and looked yonder at Chiron.

"Heroes!" Chiron spread his arms out to get out attention, his bellowing voice made James' jump with surprise, along with the other two guests. "One year. One year it has been since we withstood Kronos' onslaught. One year since we lost so many of our comrades. A moments silence will be observed in their honour," along with Chiron, everyone bowed their heads or just went silent.

...

"Remember Heroes, you have free reign tonight... But stay with your senses! Now some quick words from our guests." obviously Chiron knew long speeches would be hell for us, especially because Travis Stoll was already started fidgeting with his pockets.

The first guest was not James May this 'famous' demigod. Rather it was a young woman with light lavender hair. Everyone in Aphrodite Cabin gasped when she stepped forward.

"Hi I'm Kelly Osborne, most of you know me for my Father Ozzy Osbrone, my Olympian parent is Nemesis the goddess of equality." Kelly proceeded to dive into a very short speech about her troubles being not just her mother's influence. Her mother's desire for balance took her to highs and lows, but she was also to blame. Wrapping her speech up Kelly introduced the last of the guests. "Michael Buble, son of Apollo."

"Hey guys." Aphrodite's girls went wild the moment he walked on stage in his suit. "I'm here to tell you, if it's your calling embrace your parent's influences, let them guide you to success." James May took the forefront and introduced himself as a host of 'Top Gear.' there was silence.

"Have none of you heard about it?" he looked around. "From the BBC... British Broadcasting Company... Oh cock" James let out a sigh and continued. "Well then... My Olympian parent is Athena, goddess of wisdom and craft." There was a big bout of confusion from Hephaestus' children, who were under the assumption James was of their father... "That's why I'm here, to show you that you are not limited by your parent's sphere of influence. I excelled in Music and Engineering." James could see us itching to move about and party! "Oh sod it all. Have fun!" James threw his arms up high and we erupted into cheers.

"Hey I'll see you guys in a bit, I've got something to do." Percy dashed off without another word. Jason rolled his eyes and we went to mingle with our friends.

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><p>About an hour or two into the party (None of us had the common sense to wear a watch) Jason and I made a bee line for the snack table and began munching on corn chips and sausage rolls.<p>

"Sooo Nico..." Jason crunched a corn chip in his hand and looked over my shoulder at Connor Stoll. Connor looked... Divine, his slightly curled hair was brushed to one side today keeping it off his face and really bringing attention to his sexy body, after all he was just wearing skinny jeans and a waist coat... Yeah he has the body for that... Lucky stud! Jason caught me taking protracted glances at Connor. Though Jason probably wouldn't let it down, I was just glad Connor didn't catch me.

"You know, nothing'll change if you don't go and talk to him." Jason began to eat the crunched up corn chips, one fragment at a time. The way Jason eats reminds me of a bird sometime… Eagles are birds… and the symbol of his father… So we inherit traits from our fathers familiars maybe. Posiedon's familiar is the horse, does that mean Percy is… '_BAD NICO! DOWN, DOWN!_' I mentally chastised myself for what I was thinking, and not a moment too soon as I felt blood starting to…circulate.

"I'm working on it... In time." I assured him. Jason just rolled his eyes in that _'I've heard that before' fashion.'_ "Ugh." I shook my head, anxious for a topic change. "So where's Percy?"

"*Sigh*" Jason emptied the rest of his corn chip fragments onto the floor and stamped them into the ground. "Another deep and meaningful with Annabeth." Jason was not amused, in fact if he was any more displeased I'm sure small thunder clouds would have started forming around his head.

"How deep?" That pun would have driven Percy nuts. That along with the expression _'Just go with the flow'_.

"About...30 feet?" he sighed and pointed over to the canoe lake.

"What on earth do they talk about?" I sighed and refilled my soda.

"I don't know, but frankly, I'm getting pissed off at it." Jason grumbled.

"Well go do something about it." I pointed over the other end of the party, Annabeth and Percy were coming back in... Not holding hands. A sign maybe?

"I..." Jason looked over at them and swallowed tightly. "I will." Jason gulped down a mouthful of soda plus something one of Dionysus had handed him earlier. "Brrr!" with a sharp shake of his head he was off.

"Good luck." I laughed as he got about 10 paces away.

"Hey, if I can do it, so can you!" with a laugh he gave a wave over his shoulder and headed out, brimming with enthusiasm and confidence.

_'Must be because he's the son of Zeus.'_ I thought to myself with a laugh as I picked up his cup and took a sniff. I swear I had smelt turpentine at Sally Jackson's place with less alcohol in it.

"NICO!" Mitchell came waltzing over to me, almost literally. Whatever Jason had been drinking, Mitchell was clearly 1-5 glasses ahead of him.

"Hey Mitchell." I hugged Mitchell in every sense of the word platonic.

"I love your jacket!" Mitchell rubbed the shoulder of my jacket then analysed the tailoring lines. "Where did you get this Nico! You've been holding out some good fashion sense!" he almost screamed.

"Oh I altered my old duster." I smiled (Yes it does happen so shut up!~) I raised my arms out wide and gave a slow small twirl for Mitchell.

"I must say, looks like some of the stuff Coco Chanel used to do…" Mitchell held his frosted glass to his cheek and looked deep in thought.

"You're right… it does" I smirked.

"Nico you sly fox!" Mitchell playfully hit me on the side of the arm with his spare hand."Summoning Coco without telling me!" Mitchell let out a laugh and then looked straight at my right hand (Suppose its the straightest thing about him tonight... ah I love Mitchell, he's so refreshing!) "You don't have a drink! Let me get you one!" before I could protest Mitchell was gone. I seemed to be getting left alone a lot tonight. _'Suppose it's only natural for a Son of Hades'_

Glancing over at Connor my heart skipped a beat. I looked back over at Jason talking to Percy. "Well its official, I'm a mouse." I snickered to myself.

"A what?" a familiar voice rung out behind me. Connor...


	11. It's nothing

Hey guys here's another chapter. Stories gonna wrap up nice and soon. But like Rick, I'm penning a sequel so wait with baited breath.

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><p><strong>~Chapter 11~<strong>  
><em>"It's nothing."<em>

I was star struck. Not by these multimillionaire famous demigods, but by Connor Stoll. Hermes' gorgeous son was standing right in front of me. I could feel the air thinning around me.

"Its official you are a what?" he asked again.

"Oh ah uh..." I flustered around trying to find some audible escape clause where I'd retain some form of dignity. Time around us seemed to slow down like Kronos was at work, though back in my head I knew it was just my heart and mind. Connor's beautiful eyes just gazed at me, taking my breath away just like Aphrodite girls do to the straight boys.

"Bro!" Travis almost jumped on his brother's back as he leaped towards him. Travis was in a sky blue singlet, dark grey jeans and flip flops, seems revealing cloths run in the family. "Oh hey nice jacket Nico!" Travis flicked a fallen leaf off my shoulder and gave me a wink.

"What is it?" Connor asked, prying Travis off him.

"Ya gotta come over by Jason and Percy. Hahahahaha you just gotta come see. I can't explain he hahaah!" Travis' laugh wasn't like he found something funny, more like he couldn't believe his luck or something. He quickly ran off to a group of campers slowly forming around Percy and Jason. Connor just turned back to me, we stared/glared/observed each other for a few moments.

With tension rising I moved things along. "Wanna go see?" I asked, playing with a small shadow in my hand.

"Sure." he nodded. As we set off I realized I should have felt less stress... Instead I just felt 10x more nervous.

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><p>As we approached the crowd got louder, and louder and louder. We started to hear whispers that sent shivers down my spine. 'Labyrinth' and 'Stygian Iron'. Connor, Travis and I pushed our way to the front where Jason and Percy were waiting. The two boys held their magical items ready to transform them into Riptide and... Well Jason never told me its name... Gazing over the large Stygian iron 'double door' sticking out of the ground, I could only mutter out something mildly intelligent. "That's new..."<p>

"Jason and I were talking and then boom." Percy brought me up to date with more details than I'll waste your time with.

"Right." I nodded at what Percy said, though my eyes were still fixed on the iron double doors. It was engraved with designs as if it had been pulled out of the wall at my father's palace. As if it knew I had thought of him a band of black and purple mist gathered around the door like a rope, it formed into a rope with a note attached. I must have been under some sort of spell because without knowing I stepped towards the note and plucked it off the rope.

'2 cmp1/2bld. H&H' was written in hand writing I didn't recognise. After reading the note I noticed two locks on either side of the door and a heavy weight around my neck. I examined the other side of the note. 'Connor Stoll' was written in my father's script.

I spoke up without moving my head as if still under the weird forces control. "Connor..."

Connor did step forward, he came up beside me looking rather nervous. "Yeah Nico?" he asked, with a slight quiver.

"I don't suppse you brought a lockpick?"

Connor shook his head. "Nah. I left it in m-You did." my heart skipped a beat as he reached for my neck. I missed another beat as his slender fingers danced behind my neck and effortlessly undid the pendant's chain. What had once been a pendant was now twin keys, one ending in a metal feather, the other a metal bone. Our eyes met and in an instant we had an understanding, Connor handed me the bone key, my father's symbol whilst he kept the feathered key. The campers around us were dead silent, not even Chiron spoke. Connor and I slipped the keys in their locks and twisted. The twin doors groaned as they opened. An echoey voice rang out... My father's voice

"Demi Gods, you have treated my son with dignity and respect. Through your actions you have brought glory to Olympus. On the anniversary of the great victory, I present you with a gift."

"Delivered by Hermes!" the traveller god's happy voice rang out in contrast to my fathers.

We all gazed into the doors which seemed to be open onto somewhere 'else'... Shadowy figures began to form and walk towards the door.

"L-Luke?" Percy almost dropped Riptide's pen as a shadowy figure moved to the cusp of the door, morphing into Luke Castellan. Ares' children were about to draw their hidden blades (They ALWAYS have one!) when Clarisse raised her arm to stop them, her eyes wide open. A shadowy figure ran out and wrapped it's arms around her neck, it was soon followed by a more 'manly' one. The two began to clear up into Selena and Charles. Moments later Ethan Nakamura and Bianca walked through, along with Apollo cabin's old head councillor (Whose name I never learnt.)

Everyone was wary of the returned spirits, they looked almost real, only with a minor transparency to them... The possessed feeling came over me again and I spoke in my Father's words (my own voice though) "My gift to you, 1 day with your departed. Every one of them a Hero, endless in courage, bountiful in honour and worthy of unending praise." explained my father through me, luckily everyone seemed to know it was him.

"LEE!" Will Solace pushed his way through and pretty much dived at the old councillor of Apollo's name.

'THAT was it! Lee Fletcher!' I smirked to myself as I remembered. I looked around and there were absolutely no words to describe the look of sheer joy on the face of everyone at camp. Annabeth seemed to almost melt into tears as she wrapped her arms around Luke's waist and began to…well weep, people had told me she had taken his betrayal and death pretty hard but I'd never imagined I'd see her cry over it.

* * *

><p>With Luke off talking to his brothers and Bianca talking to Annabeth, I managed to drift off and be on my own for a change. Normally I would have considered myself always being alone, but recently I'd found myself surrounded by people who I'd end up calling my friends. I leaned up against a tree for a bit of a breather, I had finally understood it all, the tonic, the vision and why I had suddenly felt so taxed… it was all so I would be ready for tonight and summoning the door. My ears tingled after a long sigh, someone was approaching.<p>

"Whose there?" I asked with a bit of force.

"It's me" Juniper came into the light.

"Oh it's you" I sighed with happiness that she wasn't a hell hound or harpy.

"'Oh it's you' yourself Nico." Juniper didn't seem to happy, in fact this was the first time in my memory she was… well 'pissed' or mad. "There's another one of your demigod friends in my grove." Juniper stomped her foot down and a few daisies grew up around her foot. Before I could answer she launched off on another rant. "It's that son of Zeus! He's up against my trunk balling his eyes out over someone." Juniper walked back and forth flinging her arms about ranting for ages… Well I can only guess she was ranting for ages because I slipped into the shadows and travelled to her grove, coming out right near Jason, the poor soul almost jumped out of his skin.

"H-hi" Jason tried to wipe his eyes and cover his face at the same time, which only ended up in him hitting myself in the nose. "Ouch!"

"Jason?" I asked cocking my head a little to try and get a better view of him. Zeus' son just sat there against a tree covering his face with both hands. I noticed a few more tears creeping out from the side of Jason's hands; he was never too good at hiding his emotions.

"What's the matter?" I pulled out a black silk hanky from my coat pocket and handed it to him. (Coco insisted that 'Every gentleman of any class must have a handkerchief on his person so if the need arises he may be of use')

Jason took the handkerchief and blew his nose; I half expected the skies to thunder with equal ferocity but alas, no thunder. "It's nothing." Jason tried to shut down the conversation.

"So 'nothing' brings you out into Juniper's grove to ball your eyes out?" I asked, rather sarcastically.

"Yes." Jason was firm and tried once again to shut down the conversation.

"Well if 'nothing' does that to you I'd hate to see you when you're really bored." I gave out a taunting chuckle and rolled my eyes.

"Whatever." Jason avoided my gaze, trying to hide behind my handkerchief.

"*Sigh*!" I sat down next to him and reached into my jacket, from an interior pocket I pulled out a 'party favour' from Pollux. It was a thin metal hipflask the type macho men always bring out in WWII movies when they're stuck in the trenches. I figured the emotional problems of a queer teenaged demigod were close enough to trench warfare. I uncapped the flask and took a swig… I don't know if any of you have ever drunken something handcrafted by the children of Dionysus… but WOW it was strong, my mouth felt like I had drank 10 gallons of flaming petrol and then followed it by a chaser of napalm. "Here." I handed the flask to Jason, not so much offering him a drink but telling him to have one.

"…Thanks," Jason grudginly took a gulp as well, and then the fireworks started. Jason doubled over and began to cough; with each cough I heard a rumble in the sky. Jason handed the flask back to me and I was sure it would turn into a pissing contest of who was manlier and could drink more. But luckily for my liver Jason gave in after I took back the flask. "It's Percy." He sighed.

"_No shit Sherlock."_ I sighed internally but faked interest and ignorance on the outside. "What do you mean?"

"He thinks he should try and work things out with Annabeth, they're gonna give it a little break but are still in 'love'." Jason used air quote marks for the word 'love'.

"Oh?" I didn't really know what else to say, Jason was older, more experienced in love and far more confident than me.

Jason snatched the hip flask off me and took another BIG gulp. "We've been close ever since the Sea of Monsters!" Jason mocked Percy's voice. "UGH! He acted like I was chopped liver, like our nights of passion in my cabin didn't mean anything!" Jason got a little angrier. "I swore I felt some connection when he was grinding against me. He could barely contain himself when I licked hi-"

"I GET the PICTURE." I made him stop just short of putting to many pictures in my head.

"Oh sorry." Jason slumped down. "The hair." Jason nodded. I raised a cocked eyebrow and Jason obviously saw me because he started to explain. "You asked me what I see in him." I looked back at Jason very confused.

'_No I didn't…'_

"I have a thing for thick dark hair." Jason nodded again. "Oh and his abs…" Jason's eyes looked both hurt and aroused; an awkward combination. "Not to mention his attitude." Jason looked skyward as if his father would help. "He acts like nothing sticks to him, but really it does. He's the ultimate cool guy." A tear formed in Jason's left eye. I was still at a loss for what to say.

"Maybe you should get some rest?" I asked, sounding like a protective mother bird.

"Every time I sleep I think- no I DREAM of him…and my bed smells like him too." Jason began to blush and giggle. Drunk.

"Right then, I'm taking you home to sober up." I stood up and grabbed Jason's arm, lugging him to his feet I dragged him to my cabin. *Sigh* tonight was supposed to be my night to confess my feelings for Connor and try to work those out, but here I am picking up the pieces that a few hours ago were Jason Grace.

* * *

><p>"Come on big guy." I helped Jason in to my cabin and shut the doors behind us. Jason took up residence on the couch, slumped over either due to mental fatigue or intoxication I do not know. "You okay?" I asked as I fetched him a glass of water.<p>

"Just feeling a little cheated." Jason gave a forced laugh as he took the black glassed glass. Zeus' son just gazed at the clear water enclosed in the opaque glass. My eyes glanced over him and looked at his red cheeks and blood shot eyes. Though I must take this moment to impart the things that were going through my head,_ 'Percy is mad for not taking Jason up on his offer of companion ship. Just WOW that body, a bit more muscle than Percy, more chiselled abs and pecks, and the tattoos… Oh lord I'm objectifying one of my best friends!'_ .Mentally hit myself to clear my mind in preparation for more picking up more 'pieces' I hung my jacket up by the door and took a seat next to Jason.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" I asked.

"I dunno." Jason slumped further forward, I rubbed his back because it was the only think I could think of to do. Without warning Jason flopped back onto the back rest, squashing my hand. As I gently pulled it out, Jason's eyes began to fog up again. "Stupid indecisive pillock!" a small rumble was heard over my cabin and Jason thumped the other side of the couch.

"Maybe you should just let things settle, see how him and Annabeth go?" I suggested, immediately I knew it wasn't the best thing to suggest. Jason looked straight at me, past my clothes, through my eyes and into my soul. If I had ever wondered about what Zeus looked like when he was angry, I'm sure Jason looked 10 times scarier.

"Why?" he asked, bluntly.

"Don't forget that they are camps number 1 couple. If you go in making a scene you could risk alienating yourself from Percy and then you'd really be in a pickle." A bad time to smile, but I did… a little. Little lightning bolts of death.

"Don't you want me to get with him? Don't you think this is a 'pickle' as you so aptly put it!" Jason was getting a little peeved.

"Hey calm down." I stood up for myself. Standing up to the blood of Zeus, I hope Dad's watching. "I think you and Percy would work great together as an item. And I'm not trying to belittle your situation. But just remember this is one night. Rome wasn't built in a day." Yep I played the 'Rome' card. Rome at camp is something we only mention in hushed tones and is referred to in a type of ashamed reverence…if that works? But this is Camp Halfblood. So it works. All my guts were telling me not to say what I ended up saying next, but I did anyways, "If it doesn't work out, well, you'll be at camp for a while and there ARE other people out there."

"You're right." Rising to my feet I shook his hand firmly. "Let's go have a good time." We headed for the door. I grabbed my jacket and slipped it on whilst thinking to myself _'Let's not let the boys ruin it for us? I haven't even had the chance to talk to Connor about that…' _I quickly checked my hair in the mirror as we left the cabin, dropping a gold coin into my father's offering box on the way out… I'd need all the Olympian aid I could muster for this night.

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><p>Hope you've all enjoyed that. Well, please review because it helps with the writers block.<br>Thank you~


	12. Aren't we going to talk?

Well it sure has been a while since I put up a chapter for this, so here's another one.

Enjoy

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><p><strong>~Chapter 12~<strong>  
><em>"Aren't we going to talk?"<em>

Jason and I made all the effort we could to not let the events of the night so far bog us down. Jason went off to celebrate with Leo and Piper, leaving me alone, but I was fine with that. Deciding to get a better look of the party I shadow travelled up to the highest tree in camp. The wind was gentle up high, the smell of alcohol was also pretty strong..._ 'What would the parents of these kids think?'_ I wondered to myself. One of the advantages of being a son of Hades is your eyes are naturally tuned to the darkness, I could see Will Solace flirting shamelessly with Mitchell, which made me chuckle. Something caught my gaze far off by the stables, a silvery figure and a very familiar son of Poseidon talking about something which made me very curious. Since I wasn't a cat I didn't have anything to fear from curiosity so I shadow travelled to the top of the stables roof and listened intently.

"What do you think?" Percy asked.

"I dunno if I'd tell her." replied the ghost of Luke.

"I hate keeping it from her." Percy sounded frustrated and began to pace.

"She's a girl." Luke laughed. "She has probably dreamed up the perfect lover scenario for the two of you. If you tell her she'll flip, trust me."

"But she knows Mitchell gay and doesn't care."

That's when the conversation clicked for me. 'Oh Percy must want to tell Annabeth about Jason' I pondered to myself. I shuffled forward for a better view... Well any view actually, making sure I was still melded with the shadows.

"Yeah well that's a different case." Luke sighed as he hopped onto a hay bail

"How?" Percy asked, turning around to look at Luke.

"Well do you really think she'll take it well? That her Boy Friend thinks he might be gay? And that he thinks this because he hooked up with her brother figure in his first year? And then repeatedly with Connor Stoll?" Luke laughed and I blushed.

'Percy sure... Gets around.' I thought with a blush.

"Way to make me sound like a slut." Percy didn't seem too pleased.

"Bad wording." Luke laughed. "What is it with you and Hermes' sons?" Luke asked the 1 question on my mind.

"I had a thing for Nico once." he retorted. My heart skipped a beat and I gasped... Loudly.

"What was that?" Luke looked up, straight at me. For a second I thought about becoming visible and trying to talk to them. But my bacon was saved by Blackjack who landed on top of me. Luckily not squashing me. I took that moment to shadow travel to my favourite place for a breather... The border line between the shore and the forest. I felt my body becoming weaker, the tonic had boosted my energy so that I could use the powers of Hades unhindered.

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><p><em> 'Hade's tonics wearing off.'<em> I sighed and slumped against my favourite tree.

"Hey." Connor's voice rung out from my favourite starring rock a few yards over. "We, need to, talk." he smiled nervously.

"Bwaa!" I almost jumped out of my skin in surprise. 'How did I not notice him before!'

Connor laughed and gave me a little wave from across the gap "Uh, hi?"

"Hi... Yourself" I blinked rather perplexed.

"So... Us... Talking." Connor spoon fed me the conversation plan slowly, which was good because my brain was only running on 1 cylinder. (If you pardon the car analogy.)

I flustered out a reply, "Right yes talking." I'd had a few weeks to get my head around Connor's looks, yet I still was flustered and blushing.

"So..." Connor smiled at me rather awkwardly. He gently rocked back and forth on the boulder rock he sat on.

"Hmm?" I asked, still bewildered by the point of this conversation.

"Aren't we going to talk?" he laughed.

"Ah, yeah, right. About what?" I asked with a dumb grin.

"*sigh*" Connor shook his head and smiled. "I know you have a, 'thing' for me." Connor dove in.

"Oh?" my grin vanished.

"I don't mind, if you're worried about that." Connor stood up and walked the few paces towards me.

I swallowed hard... At some point in the night, Connor's waist coat had lost its buttons, revealing his well-crafted abs.

...

...

...

_***drool***_

...

...

...

Sorry I got caught up in the memory.

"You noticed?" I looked at my feet and blushed.

"You weren't exactly discrete about it." he laughed. "The bitch of it is Nico, that whilst I think you're awesome, and pretty good looking yourself," Connor reached towards me and pushed open my own shirt a little, exposing my chest. "I don't think I'm really the type of guy who's really into this." Connor scratched his head.

"So I'm... Not attractive enough, in the right ways?" I asked.

"HAHAAAHAAA!" Connor laughed as hard as I've ever heard him laugh before. "Nico I gotta say that's so wrong. You're probably one of the best looking guys here." he chuckled a bit more. "I mean I don't really do... relationships." Connor made hand gestures to try and symbolize his view on monogamy.

"O-oh." I looked at him square on and tried to get a reading from his face.

"Ah, yeah." he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

"Any, um, reason?"

"Monogamy problems mostly," he avoided my gaze and looked to the side. "Mitchell and I tried it out a few years back and it didn't work."

"He told me. Why not?" I sat down on a small tree stump to get comfortable.

"Well, I don't want to sound like a slut, but I couldn't really say no." Connor sat down on a rock opposite me and blushed ear to ear.

"Say no to what?" I flicked up another Mr. Spock eyebrow.

"To Will, Percy or Jake." Connor had a look of shame on his face, in all my time being around Camp Halfblood I'd seen the Stoll brothers be many things, humble, cocky, sad, but never ashamed of anything.

"Percy? He doesn't seem the type that'd help someone play around." I shook my head in disbelief.

"It wasn't like that... We were just so used to just doing it that... Well it happened late at night or after we'd been drinking."

"Ah... Right..." I nodded slowly.

"Left." Connor chuckled. Playfully. " *phew*... As far as rejections go, you're taking it rather well."

"As a Son of Hades you get used to it." I sighed with a smile. "You know, we better get back to the party before people think I'M doing the dirty." I laughed before standing up and dusting myself off.

* * *

><p>Connor and I returned to the party separately, I liked being the one 'nice' and 'clean' boy at camp so the last thing I needed were people assuming I'd done the dirty with him. I was alone at the drinks stand dishing myself up some punch (Which had been tainted! But I was fine with that) when yet ANOTHER person came up to give me their two cents.<p>

"So I hear you caused quite the stir a few days ago." Luke Castellan came up behind me, leant against the drinks table and gave me a smirk.

"Who told you that?" I asked dishing up another cup.

"Oh just a little bird." Luke pretended to admire his fingernails and laughed.

"A little bird? Or a little fish?" I cocked my eyebrow and smiled. (YES I can smile when I choose to.) I waved my hand over the second cup, it became mildly transparent just like the ghosts.

"Maybe." He laughed as I handed him the cup. "Hmm?" He blinked and was about to remind me of his 'dead' status when I cut him off.

"I can bless food for the dead." I pushed the cup slightly more towards Luke.

"Thanks..." he accepted it, reluctantly. "So why am I here?"

"Well I'm getting a drink, dunno why you're here." I shrugged my shoulders and walked over to one of the chairs.

"I mean why am I back HERE." Luke made a gesture that read 'I mean camp, the mortal world.'

I closed my eyes and tapped into the well of knowledge Hades had imparted on me.

"Ghost Boy?"

I finally opened my eyes. "Hades knew that 3 things decided the outcome of the war. 1) Breaking tradition by committing his legions to the final battle. 2) Poseidon abandoning his fortress. And 3) Your sacrifice. Hades is the most fair of the gods... Well maybe Justice is the most... But anyway, Hades knows what it is like to be hated for what you are, and what you have done. So he weighed up the good you did, and the bad." after that long yarn, I just shrugged my shoulders and grabbed a chip from the table.

"And I thought it was the fact Annabeth and Percy wanted to see me." Luke laughed jokingly.

"That helped. And it wasn't just Percy and Annabeth, ALL of camp." I drank my drink.

"What a bunch of crazy kids." Luke chuckled and swallowed his drink in 1 go.

"NICO!" Jason and Mitchell thundered up next to Luke and me, arms wrapped around each other's shoulders, drunk as skunks and as happy as an Internet Cat.

"You two... Oh Luke by the way this is Mit-"

"Hey Mitchell," Luke hugged Mitchell after he let go of Jason.

"Hey Luke." Jason blushed.

"And you must be the one with the Master Bolt." Luke grinned as he opened his arms to Jason.

'Master Bolt?' my ears twitched.

"Jason Grace. Son of Jupiter." Jason saluted.

"Luke Castellan. Son of Hermes." Luke returned the gesture with his trade mark smirk.

"I'll catch you again before you leave Luke. We've got stuff to catch up on!" Mitchell dragged Jason away and laughed like a mad man.

"Has he always been like that?" I asked Luke, wondering if Mitchell had descended into madness recently or not.

"Mitch? From the first day I met him... 9 years ago now." Luke chuckled. "Been gay as blazers for the last 6."

I had two questions on my mind, and without a doubt, by all the gods and goddesses Luke Castellan was not going to rest in peace until I had my answers. "So Luke... About um, Connor." I blushed under the candle light.

"What about him?" Luke asked, sitting atop the table now.

"He's not into relationships?"

Luke seemed to pause and consider his answer. "Naah not really." he paused and continued. "Ever since the busted relationship with Mitchell he's avoided them. That was years ago though."

"I see." I looked into my nearly empty cup and sloshed the lime green punch around. "What about Percy?" I couldn't help bus ask.

"I knew you had a thing for Percy!" Luke clapped his hands and laughed.

"Do not!" my eyes went dark and Luke looked genuinely afraid of me for a moment. "He's a brother figure." I protested.

"And that's what people said about Connor and me." Luke laughed awkwardly again.

"Um..." _'AWKWARD!'_

"He was unclaimed at the time." Luke waved a dismissive hand.

"Makes it all better." I rolled my eyes. "Now about Percy..."

"I shouldn't really be telling you, but well you're the King of Ghosts so who am I to refuse. I first knew Percy played for the other team not long after he came to camp. We were sparring in the sword arena, I decided I wanted more mobility so I took off my armour and shirt... He seemed to enjoy it." Luke laughed as he raised his right hand and made a 'flicking' gesture. Took me a few moments to cue on.

I blushed again and coughed awkwardly. "What about Percy and fidelity?"

"Well he's only 17, if he's unfaithful you can't really blame him."

"I suppose not knowing what team he plays for messes him up too." I stood up and went to refill my drink.

"He knows his team." Luke followed me over to the drinks stand for another blessed Cosmo. I gave Luke his drink and a look that just told him to continue. "He just doesn't want to hurt Annabeth."

_'Noble sentiment I suppose. But not much use in the long run.'_ I rolled my eyes cynically commenting internally.

"If you don't have a thing for Jackson, why the big interest?"

"Jason has a thing for Percy." we returned to our tables.

"Hot damn that boy has his finger in all the pies!"

_'It's more than his finger that's the problem._' I thought to myself. "Well Jason is pretty into Percy but Percy wants to give this thing with Wise Girl a go."

"Talk about Love Triangles." Luke shook his head. Luke seemed to ponder it all for a moment. "Pray." he looked me square in the eyes.

I was about to reply when a sharp metallic pinging noise went through my ears. By the look on his face Luke had felt it too and knew what it meant. Hades' gift, the time the spirits had was growing short, they had to return to the underworld very soon.

"We've got to go now." he whispered. I nodded silently. After a deep breath we set off back to the gate.

* * *

><p>As we arrived we saw the spirits walking back through the gate, some more happy than others. Clarisse looked very upset as Selena and Charles walked back through the gate into Hades. Luke said his goodbyes to everyone and came back to me.<p>

"Ya know, you're pretty cool for a 70 year old virgin." Luke laughed and patted me on the shoulder.

"Up yours." I chuckled.

"I pitch." Luke smiled devilishly. "Keep your chin up diAngelo. Good things come to those who wait.". Luke gave a rock star wave and walked through the doors, the last spirit to return home. The doors slammed shut with enough force to crack anything in-between. The doorway cracked apart and faded into the winds, just like we all did returning home, some nursing bumps and scrapes from falling over, some nursing soon to be hang overs, and some, nursing a broken, broken very broken heart...

* * *

><p>Only 1 more chapter to go, maybe 2, just figuring out how things'll all end up for everyone.<p> 


	13. Oh boy

Here we go, the final chapter. This was supposed to be tacked onto the end of chapter 12 but I thought a short epilogue like chapter would make the end of the last chapter a bit more special.

* * *

><p><strong>~Chapter 13~<strong>  
><em>"Oh boy."<em>

With a heavy heart I opened my cabin door and sighed. "So much for my plan." I tossed my coat on the coat hook and unbuttoned my shirt to get some air. Making a bee line straight to my sink I gulped down a good few glasses of water while I summed up everything in my mind. There was a lot to process, the fact almost every third boy at camp was a 'donut pusher' or 'mattress muncher' as Mitchell affectionately called us, and there was that small bombshell revelation that Percy was not the BEST at impulse control along with the whole Annabeth problem… And with all this seeming around my brain I headed to bed and de-clothed myself. Still trying to work out what in my father's name happened tonight was really racking my brain. I was mid-way through my mental deductions when a heard a knocking at my bedroom window. Times like these I hated being the 'go to guy' for 50,000,000 different love triangles. Slipping on a pair of sweat pants I walked across my black marble floor to the window. The small window made a little ghostly creak as I opened it 90degrees wide.

Without warning a person hopped through the threshold into my room. "Thanks Nic." CONNOR FREAKING STOLL flicked his hair out of his eyes and smiled at me.

Needless to say but I melted pretty quickly.

I was reduced to a mindless nodding zombie. "You-uh-yeah-um-welcome-ah-totally."

"Right..." Connor looked a little weirded out. In my defence he was totally shirtless and shoeless... I dunno why that's sexy but it is. By the way that was my defence for gawking at him.

"So what can I _*cough*_ do for you?" I asked, closing the window after I poked my head out to make sure he wasn't followed.

"Well we never really got to talk last night" he smiled and walked out of my room, leaving me pretty dumb struck and still partially drooling.

"W-we didn't?" I grabbed my jet black slink house coat/dressing gown and threw it on before walking out into my lounge. _'Sweat pants and a house coat…classy'_

"Nah," Connor shook his head and sat down in my chair… MY chair… "We went back to the party pretty quick."

"I, suppose." I sat down opposite Connor on my other chair, crossed my legs and looked at him. Normally I was one to shy away from people's gaze, but right now I was in the process of waking up, so I needed to be alert.

"Well, um I think we, ah did yeah." Connor kept looking around my lounge nervously.

"Connor, I don't mean to be mean and all, but it's almost dawn and I'm kinda tired." I rubbed my eyes and looked at him with eyes that really only conveyed one message. _'Stop beating around the bush and say what you came here to say, or I'll take up beating you.'_

"Right well, um." Connor cleared his throat; his awkward embarrassment was rather amusing. "I heard Luke telling you about Mitchell and everything. Ya know, about how I wasn't faithful and all that jazz." Connor blushed.

"Yeah, I heard."

"Well um, that was a while ago ya see. Recently I haven't been getting the same, satisfaction I used to." Connor blushed deep scarlet and made rabbit ears with his fingers when he mentioned the word 'satisfaction'.

"Satisfaction from what?" I blinked, still slightly prudish I didn't want to seem presumptuous.

"The random flings I've been having." Connor ran his hand through his hair and sighed. "I get the feeling something's missing."

"Oh? And what do you think it is?" I asked, innocent to the last.

Connor just blinked at me with large, wide open eyes that read_ 'Are you kidding me?'_ Hermes son blinked a few more times and then cleared his throat. "Nico, you're kidding me right?"

"Kidding you about what?" I asked.

"Oh boy." He sighed and slumped back into my chair. After a moment he began to chuckle away to himself.

"Care to share?" I asked regarding his laughter.

"Oh it's nothing, just that cute charm you have. Ya know, that naivety that makes you so innocent." Connor smiled at me.

"Was that a compliment or an insult?" I asked, cocking my eyebrow in my now signature style.

"OH it was a compliment." He winked.

"Right… you were saying?"

"Oh yeah. Um what I'm trying to say, well what I was trying to say was ah… You know how you like me?"

"Yeah, apparently all of camp does too." I rolled my eyes at the annoyance I felt that no one in camp could mind their own business.

"Well what I was going to say is that I think..." Connor paused as if giving himself one last mental boost of courage; in hindsight I knew he didn't need it all. "That that thing that's… well… you."

"What?" it was my turn to look like a stunned mullet, a look that must have been priceless cause Connor smiled ear to ear.

"Let me try that again…" Connor cleared his throat. "I know I've got monogamy issues and committing to any one person is gonna be real hard for me. But I think I'm willing to try it for you Nico. So I was wondering if you'd wanna go out sometime?"

-Silence-

Connor spoke again with a little bit of nerves in his voice. "It's not like there's much to do around here, but I'm sure we could find something ya know." Connor began to look REAL nervous, which was endearing in every sense of the word.

I only realised I was so caught up in this endearment when Connor called out my name nervously, as if I might shatter like glass if his voice was too loud or forceful. I shook my head to de-daze myself "Oh sorry," Connor's expression went south, his nervous smile turned into a mopey sad face. "NO! Not like that!" I jittered in my seat and waved my hands frantically. "I mean yes, but not. I ah…" I grabbed the side of my head and pulled my hair whilst I sighed. After 2 deep breaths and silence from Connor I looked up at him. "Yeah. I'd like that." I smiled.

"Really?" he smiled widely.

"Yeah," I smiled back.

"YES!" Connor jumped up and fist pumped a few times before smiling at me even wider. I keep saying I've seen the Connor be many things in the time I've known him, but I gotta say right then, he looked happier than I've seen him before.

Connor and I sat and talked for a while before he snuck back out of the window and headed back to his cabin. I tucked myself back down into bed in an attempt to complete my sleep. For all the stress and confusion the last few days brought, at least some good came of it. Yeah that may have been a little selfish, but I don't care, I've earned my slice of happiness. And I know keeping it intact will be even harder than getting it, but I've always loved a challenge…

* * *

><p>There we go, thanks to all those who read and reviewed! The sequel Graeca Amor's up on my profile. Here's the link to it. (hope it works)<p>

.net/s/7872935/1/bGraeca_b_bAmor_b

Focuses on Jason/Percy and what becomes of Nico's new relationship. Told from a series of peoples perspectives and includes some new relationships =]

Thanks again all! And thanks to Rick for making the Percy Jackson stories so I could take his characters and play with them in a fashion that would probably disturb him deeply =P What else are fans for no?


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